TY - JOUR
T1 - Suicide rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
T2 - the influence of community level cultural connectedness
AU - Gibson, Mandy
AU - Stuart, Jaimee
AU - Leske, Stuart
AU - Ward, Raelene
AU - Tanton, Robert
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge partnership PhD scholarship funding from Australian Rotary Health and the Rotary Club of Toowong, the Queensland Mental Health Commission for funding the Queensland Suicide Register since 2013, and Queensland Health for funding the register during 1990‒2013. We acknowledge the Coroners Court of Queensland, and the National Coronial Information System (Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety) for providing data access.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 AMPCo Pty Ltd
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Objectives: To examine associations between community cultural connectedness indicators and suicide mortality rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Study design: Retrospective mortality study. Setting, participants: Suicide deaths of people aged 10‒19 years recorded by the Queensland Suicide Register, 2001‒2015. Main outcome measures: Age-standardised suicide death rates, by Indigenous status, sex, and age group; age-standardised suicide death rates for young First Nations people by area level remoteness and Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage, and by cultural connectedness indicators (at statistical area level 2): cultural social capital index score, community Indigenous language use, and reported discrimination. Results: The age-specific suicide rate was 21.1 deaths per 100 000 persons/year for First Nations young people and 5.0 deaths per 100 000 persons/year for non-Indigenous young people (rate ratio [RR], 4.3; 95% CI, 3.5‒5.1). The rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people was higher in areas with low levels of cultural social capital (greater participation of community members in cultural events, ceremonies, organisations, and community activities) than in areas classified as having high levels (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2‒2.7), and also in communities with high levels of reported discrimination (RR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.7‒4.3). Associations with proportions of Indigenous language speakers and area level socio-economic resource levels were not statistically significant. Conclusion: We found that suicide mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Queensland were influenced by community level culturally specific risk and protective factors. Our findings suggest that strategies for increasing community cultural connectedness at the community level and reducing institutional and personal discrimination could reduce suicide rates.
AB - Objectives: To examine associations between community cultural connectedness indicators and suicide mortality rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Study design: Retrospective mortality study. Setting, participants: Suicide deaths of people aged 10‒19 years recorded by the Queensland Suicide Register, 2001‒2015. Main outcome measures: Age-standardised suicide death rates, by Indigenous status, sex, and age group; age-standardised suicide death rates for young First Nations people by area level remoteness and Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage, and by cultural connectedness indicators (at statistical area level 2): cultural social capital index score, community Indigenous language use, and reported discrimination. Results: The age-specific suicide rate was 21.1 deaths per 100 000 persons/year for First Nations young people and 5.0 deaths per 100 000 persons/year for non-Indigenous young people (rate ratio [RR], 4.3; 95% CI, 3.5‒5.1). The rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people was higher in areas with low levels of cultural social capital (greater participation of community members in cultural events, ceremonies, organisations, and community activities) than in areas classified as having high levels (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2‒2.7), and also in communities with high levels of reported discrimination (RR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.7‒4.3). Associations with proportions of Indigenous language speakers and area level socio-economic resource levels were not statistically significant. Conclusion: We found that suicide mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Queensland were influenced by community level culturally specific risk and protective factors. Our findings suggest that strategies for increasing community cultural connectedness at the community level and reducing institutional and personal discrimination could reduce suicide rates.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Culture
KW - Indigenous health
KW - Social determinants of health
KW - Suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105676966&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5694/mja2.51084
DO - 10.5694/mja2.51084
M3 - Article
C2 - 33987845
AN - SCOPUS:85105676966
SN - 0025-729X
VL - 214
SP - 514
EP - 518
JO - Medical Journal of Australia
JF - Medical Journal of Australia
IS - 11
ER -
