Suicide rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: the influence of community level cultural connectedness

Mandy Gibson; Jaimee Stuart; Stuart Leske; Raelene Ward; Robert Tanton

doi:10.5694/mja2.51084

Suicide rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: the influence of community level cultural connectedness

Med J Aust. 2021 Jun;214(11):514-518. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51084. Epub 2021 May 13.

Authors

Mandy Gibson^{1

2}, Jaimee Stuart², Stuart Leske¹, Raelene Ward^{1

3}, Robert Tanton⁴

Affiliations

¹ Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD.
² Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD.
³ College for Indigenous Studies, Education and Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD.
⁴ National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT.

PMID: 33987845
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51084

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Adolescence; Culture; Indigenous health; Social determinants of health; Suicide.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Age Factors
Cause of Death
Child
Cultural Competency
Female
Health Services, Indigenous / organization & administration*
Humans
Male
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander / statistics & numerical data*
Queensland
Retrospective Studies
Sex Factors
Suicide / statistics & numerical data*
Young Adult