Journal Article

Suicide preceded by health services contact – A whole-of-population study in New Zealand 2013-2015

Edlin, Richard, Paynter, Janine, Chiang, Annie, Exeter, Daniel J.

2021

Overview

New Zealand’s rate of suicide persistently exceeds the global average. The burden of suicide in New Zealand is disproportionately borne by youth, males and Māori (NZ indigenous people). While the demographic characteristics of suicide decedents are established, there is a need to identify potential points of contact with health services where preventative action could take place. This paper aims to determine if suicide deaths in New Zealand were likely to be preceded by contact with health services, and the type and time frame in which these contacts took place. This study utilised a whole-of-population-cohort of all individuals age 15 years and over, who were alive on March 5 th 2013, followed up to December 2015. Associations between the odds of suicide, demographic factors, area-based deprivation, and the timing of last contact with primary, secondary, and tertiary services were analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Contact with a health service in the 6 Months prior to death was associated with the highest odds of suicide. Over half of the suicide decedent population (59.4%) had contacted primary health services during this period. Large proportions of the suicide decedent population contacted secondary and tertiary services in the 6 Months prior to death, 46.5% and 30.4% respectively. Contact with primary, secondary and tertiary services in the prior 6 Months, were associated with an increased odds of suicide of 2.51 times [95% CI 2.19–2.88], 4.45 times [95% CI 3.69–4.66] and 6.57 times [95% CI 5.84–7.38], respectively, compared to those who had no health services contact.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Care and treatment / Censuses / Cohort Studies / Contact potentials / Datasets / Demographics / Deprivation / Epidemiology / Ethnicity / Females / Health risks / Health services / Humans / Indigenous peoples / Male / Males / Medicine and Health Sciences / Mental disorders / Mental health / Mental health care / Mental Health Services - statistics & numerical data / Middle Aged / Minority & ethnic groups / Mortality / New Zealand / Patient Acceptance of Health Care / People and places / Population / Population studies / Population-based studies / Prevention / Primary care / Research and Analysis Methods / Self destructive behavior / Services for / Statistics / Suicidal behavior / Suicide / Suicide - statistics & numerical data / Suicide - trends / Suicide victims / Suicides & suicide attempts / Tertiary / Time Factors / Young Adult