3. Suicide deaths, Australia 1995.

(ICD9 E-codes 950-959)

Table 3.1 Key indicators of suicide deaths

Age and sex distribution

Fig. 3.1: Age-specific rates of suicide deaths, by sex, Australia 1995

• There were 2,367 suicide deaths registered in 1995, up 2% on the 2,258 registered suicides in 1994. Suicide was responsible for 32% of all injury deaths in 1995, at an age-adjusted rate of 13 deaths per 100,000 and accounted for more deaths than transport related accidents.
• Males continued to have higher rates than females in all age groups, with the overall male age-adjusted rate of 21 deaths per 100,000 being almost 4 times the female rate of 5 deaths per 100,000.
• At 25.2 deaths per 100,000 population, the suicide rate for males aged 15 to 24 years remained close to the rate seen since the late 1980s. The rate remains high, but has not risen further in recent years.
• As in 1994, the 1995 male suicide rate at ages 20 to 24 years (34.2 per 100,000 population) was the highest of any 5-year age group up to ages 80 to 84 years. In 1995, the rates for men aged in their late 20s and in their 30s were almost as high. Suicides in the 20 year age band 20 to 39 years accounted for over half of all male suicides (51 percent).
• The age-adjusted rate for females rose by 13% from 4.7 suicide deaths per 100,000 in 1994 to 5.4 in 1995, with increased rates in most age groups, especially under 60 years of age.
• Males aged 20-44 comprised 47% of all suicide deaths in 1995, while females in the same age range accounted for 11% of all suicide deaths.

Trends in death rates

Fig. 3.2: Age-adjusted rates of suicide deaths, by sex, Australia 1979-95

• All-ages rates of suicide have changed little, for males or females, in recent years. The rate for persons has been adopted as a National Health Priority Areas indicator, and a year 2000 target of 10.9 deaths per 100,000 population has been stated. Recent trends provide no indication that this target will be met.
• Figure 3.2 also shows trends in suicide rates for males aged 15 to 34 and 65 years and older, as these are other National Health Priority Area indicators (no targets have been set for these indicators). The rise from 1994 to 1995 in the rate for the 15 to 34 year old group was due to an increase at ages 25 to 34 years.
• There is a striking contrast between trends for suicide (little change) and those for most other types of injury (reducing). For example, transport injury mortality decreased by 53% during the period 1979 to 1995, while suicide rates increased by 7%. The rise in suicide is attributable to increases in male rates (18% higher in 1995 than in 1979).
• The rise in male suicide rates since 1979 was accounted for by large increases in suicide by hanging (up 157%) and by motor vehicle exhaust fumes (up 126%). Suicide by firearms, much the commonest method of suicide used by males in 1979, fell by 41% during the period to 1995.
• In Figure 3.2, the line for Persons and the target refer to deaths registered as suicide (E950-959). Some deaths registered as being of "undetermined intent" (E980-989) may also be suicides. A line has been included to show adjusted rates for persons if all of the "undetermined" cases were suicides. Inclusion of all "undetermined" cases as suicide would increase the estimated suicide rate by about 5 percent.

State and territory differences

Fig. 3.3: Age-adjusted rates* of suicide deaths, by state & territory of registration, Australia 1995

• In 1995, no state or territory had an all-ages suicide rate that differed significantly from the national rate.