The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released the 2016 Causes of Death data, which include national suicide information. Orygen assessed the data and noted that, despite a reduction in the overall suicide rate between 2015 and 2016, suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians under the age of 44 years, and is increasing in young Australians.
Orygen has identified some of the key findings from the data:
- 403 Australians between the ages of 15 and 24 died by suicide in 2016. Suicide accounted for more than one-third of deaths (35.4%) in this age group. Although there was a slight decrease in the suicide rate of 15-19 year-olds, there was an increase in the suicide rate for the 20-24 year age group (from 14.6 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 15.7 in 2016).
- In 20-24 year-old males, the age-standardised suicide rate was 23.3 per 100,000 people; this compared to 22.3 in 2015, and equates to one suicide death in this demographic group every two days.
- In 20-24 year-old females, the suicide rate in 2016 was 7.7 per 100,000 people; this compared to 6.6 per 100,000 people in 2015, making the suicide rate among 20-24 year old females the highest it has been in 20 years.
- The suicide rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians remains approximately two times higher than the suicide rate in the general population.
Dr Jo Robinson, Head Suicide Prevention Research said it is important to remember that behind these statistics are real young people, who have left family and friends behind.
“For every person who dies by suicide, countless more are impacted,” Dr Robinson said.
“This data are concerning and show that the numerous government and independent enquiries into the problem of youth suicide have had little impact. Australia’s new suicide prevention strategy is well-overdue. In its absence, Australia is suffering from a lack of strategic direction for preventing suicide.”
Orygen’s ‘Raising the Bar for Youth Suicide Prevention’ report, released November 2016, identifies significant gaps in the current policy approach to suicide prevention.
Dr Robinson said current approaches have a large focus on suicide prevention programs in schools, but there is far less emphasis on delivering programs in tertiary settings or workplaces. Given the increasing suicide rate among 20-24 year-olds, this needs to be an immediate priority.
“Additionally, young people are avid users of the internet and social media, yet there are insufficient policy initiatives that harness the benefits these platforms could afford. Reform therefore needs to be brought about as a matter of urgency.
“The Australian Government’s Fifth National Mental Health Plan, due to be released this year, needs to include a specific policy response for young people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, and young people must be actively engaged in the development of this.”
Professor Patrick McGorry, Executive Director, Orygen said as The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Orygen accepts that there is more that needs to be done to reduce the prevalence of suicide in young people and stands ready to work with governments and the youth mental health sector.
Continue reading the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Causes of Death data.