A Literature Review of Suicide and Attempted Suicide in Australia

This paper reviews suicide and attempted suicide among Australian youth, aiming to identify intervention and prevention measures. A review of 14 primary studies revealed the prevalence of suicidal behavior globally, highlighting risk factors such as mental disorders, substance abuse, social media influence, and family history. The study emphasizes the urgent need for preventive mechanisms and effective interventions to manage suicidal behavior in young adults. It examines suicide rates by age, region, and indigenous status, delving into factors like mental health, trauma, family history, and the impact of social media. Effective suicide prevention and intervention strategies, including individual and family therapy, transitory interventions, technology-based support, and universal prevention programs, are discussed. The review concludes by underscoring the importance of addressing this critical issue with comprehensive and targeted approaches. Desklib provides access to a wealth of similar academic resources for students.

Running head: Suicide and Attempted Suicide 1
Attempted suicide and Suicide by Australian Youth in modern Australia.
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Suicide and Attempted Suicide
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: Global Male: Female suicide ratios per 100,000 people in 2016...........................6
Figure 3.1 Flow Chart of systematic research Strategy..........................................................24

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
Table of Contents
LIST OF FIGURES....................................................................................................................2
ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................4
1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................5
1.1 Definitions........................................................................................................................5
1.2 Overview global suicide...................................................................................................5
1.3 Overview of Australia suicide..........................................................................................6
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................................................8
3.0 METHODS AND SEARCH STRATEGY PROCESS......................................................23
4.0 SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN AUSTRALIA............................................25
4.1 By Age............................................................................................................................25
4.2 By Region.......................................................................................................................25
4.3 By Indigenous and non-indigenous................................................................................25
5.0 SUICIDAL FACTORS......................................................................................................26
5.1 Mental Disorder..............................................................................................................26
5.2 Trauma............................................................................................................................27
5.3 Family history.................................................................................................................27
5.4 Alcohol and Drugs..........................................................................................................28
5.5 Social Media...................................................................................................................28
6.0 SUICIDE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES.................................29
6.1 Individual and Family Therapy.....................................................................................29
6.2 Transitory Interventions during High-risk Periods........................................................29
6.3 Technology and the Internet...........................................................................................29
6.4 Universal and Selective Prevention................................................................................30
FINDINGS...............................................................................................................................31
DISCUSSIONS........................................................................................................................32
LIMITATIONS........................................................................................................................33
TRUSTWORTHINESS...........................................................................................................33
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................34
References................................................................................................................................35

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
ABSTRACT
Purpose:This paper purposes to explore suicide and attempted by Australian youth in
modern Australia with an objective of ascertaining intervention and prevention measures.
Design/ Methodology/ Approach: 14 primary studies were reviewed. The selection of
papers was conducted to incorporate a wide range. The articles were screened, and quality
check is done and the approved ones were included in the review. Different themes were
developed due to the analysis
Findings: studies have emphasized the prevalence of suicide and attempted suicide among
the youth globally. The risk factors of suicidal behavior include mental disorders, drug and
substance abuse, internet and social media and family history. Given the magnitude of the
trend, there is a need for preventive mechanisms and effective interventions to help manage
suicidal behavior among young adults.
Originality/ Value: The study incorporates primary relevant articles from a broad range of
suicide and attempted suicide in addition to exploring the most effective prevention and
intervention strategies
Keywords: suicide, attempted suicide, risk factors, prevention, intervention
Paper type: A critical literature review

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Definitions
Suicide is an intentional act of terminating one’s individual life (Turecki & Brent, 2016).
Self-harm implies self-inflicted injury in which an individual has to intention to die.
Attempted suicide has been defined by as an involvement in a potentially harmful activity to
oneself in which the intention is to take one’s own life (Nock et al., 2013).
1.2 Overview global suicide
Suicide is a global issue. Because of that, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been
addressing it as early as 1950, two years after its establishment (Fleischmann, 2016). The
statistical data on suicide as presented by WHO of its member states are reliable and
unbiased. Suicides are ranked second leading causes of early deaths in young people of 15 to
29 years, whereas the suicide rates of those aged 15 to 44 years being ranked at number three.
The highest mortality rate is caused by accidents related to transportation (Bertolote &
Fleischmann, 2015). Fleischmann (2016) reports that 78% of suicides in 2015 took place in
low- and average income countries based on the WHO 2014 data.
The world suicide mortality rate in 2016 was 1.8%, with Africa countries being represented
by 0.5%, and the South-East nations having 1.9% of the world mortality rate as shown in
Figure 2.1 (WHO, 2016). According to WHO (2016), most of the African countries alongside
other developing countries reported the lowest mortality rates of 0 and 49, while some
countries such as Mexico, Panama, Turkey, Congo among others had suicide rates between
5.0 and 9.9. The highest suicide rates of 15 and above were reported in countries such as
Poland, Switzerland, Finland, and Thailand among others.
Young adults and adolescents aged between 15 and 29 years have the highest suicide rates
worldwide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the age bracket of 10 to 14 years,
while in the age group of 10 to 34 years, suicide is the second most common cause of death

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
(NCIPC, 2016). Generally, it is an observable trend that the majority of the young die of
suicide compared to the old folk. However, the comparative numbers per age bracket are
eight times more than in the old people (Bertolote & Fleischmann, 2015). Likewise, WHO
reports the lowest worldwide suicide rates amongst adolescent and children aged 15 years
and below, but increases after that at a steady pace up to the age of 70 and beyond
(Fleischmann, 2016).
Figure 2.1: Global Male: Female suicide ratios per 100,000 people in 2016.
Figure 1 Figure 2.1: Global Male: Female suicide ratios per 100,000 people in 2016.
Source: (WHO, 2016)
1.3 Overview of Australia suicide
Suicide rates in Australia have been on the rise to alarming levels which have attracted the
attention of world humanitarian organizations and researchers. According to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics (2016), the Australian suicide rate as at 2016 was 11.7% per 100,000
population, which represented an increase by 1.1 per 100,000 population in 2007. The
statistics further report a mortality rate of 2,866 people due to suicide. The statistics provided

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
by the World Health Organization is relatively equal to that of the Australian Bureau of
Statistics. The WHO (2018) placed Australian suicide rate at 10.4% per 100,000 population
annually using age-adjusted data. On the other hand, the standardized age rate of suicide as
reported by the Australian Department of Health was 10.3 per 100,000 people in 2005,
representing a decrease of 4.4 up from 1997. The mortality rate due to suicide in Australia is
thrice higher in men than in women. The Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that there
were 17.8 deaths per 100,000 population in men and 5.8 deaths per 100,000 for the females.
More astonishing is the prevalence of suicide rate among the young Australian population.
The death of the majority of young people in Australia aged between 15 and 24 years is
caused by suicide (WHO, 2014).

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
Study
Method/
Sector Aims Key findings
Authors & Date
The method
used in the
study
Method,
Purpose or
research
question author
posed
Major finding of the study
Main idea or themes distilled from the finding.
How does the finding confirm thoe of studies
or information not found in other sources?
Székely et al.
(2013)
European
Alliance
Against
Depression
(EAAD)
programme,
Hungary
The objective
of the study was
to assess the
effectiveness of
the EAAD
programme as a
community
intervention
programme in
decreasing
suicide rates in
both men and
women. The
EAAD
programme was
actualised in
Szolnok town in
Hungary with a
population of
76,311 with
highest suicide
rate. The
effectiveness of
the intervention
Decreased suicide rate during the
intervention programme compared to the
former three years and after one year of
follow-up.
Suicide rates and trends: The rate of suicide
decreased by 56% between 2004 and 2005 and
by 60.1% between 2006 and 2007. No
significant difference of the decrease in suicide
rate based on gender.
Secondary outcome measures: There was an
increase in the number of emergency hotline
service calls, more so those related with suicide

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
was examined
by comparing
the rates of
suicide in the
experimental
area after the
intervention
with the
differences in
the nationwide
suicide rates and
those in the
waitlist group.
Khasakhala, Ndetei
& Mathai, (2013)
Interviews,
Kenya
The study
assessed the
association
between suicidal
behaviour and
existing
substance or
psychiatric
disorders among
young adults
and depressive
and
consumption of
alcohol among
their parents. A
sample of 678
participants
There was a significant statistical relationship
between depressive, consumption of alcohol,
and drug abuse disorders and suicidal conduct
among youths.
Suicidal behavior among the young adults in
association with their background features:
Youth background characteristics such as
depression, drug, and substance abuse
disorders have a substantive statistical
association with suicidal behavior in youths.
Suicidal behavior among the young adults in
association with the features of their parents:
The findings showed a substantial association
between depressive disorder in the mother and
supposed rejection behavior by the mother with

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
consisting of
226 biological
fathers and 202
biological
mothers, and
250 youths.
youth suicidal behavior.
The outcomes of the study indicate that youths
diagnosed with disorders related to substance
abuse and psychiatric have their mothers
diagnosed with depressive disorder.
Wanyoike, (2015).
Kenya
Qualitative and
quantitative
methods
The study was
aimed at
assessing the
existence of
suicide among
university
students. The
target
population
consisted of 50
university
students
distributed
across six
university and
40 mental health
care provider. A
sample size of
35 students and
30 healthcare
practitioners
were included in
the analysis. the
author used
structured
interview
schedules and a
The author found out that the society has a
critical role in the control, prevention and
intervention of suicide among the youths.
However, no existing data regarding the
suicide rate among the youths in Kenya was
ascertained.
Cause of suicide: the study found out that the
main causes of suicide among the Kenyan
university students include loneliness (10%),
depression (39%), anger (15%), hopelessness
(30%), and conflict (6%), with depression
being reported as the most common cause.
Impact of suicide: 70% of the respondents
reported that suicide led to trauma, shame,
anger, sense of guilt and betrayal. Stigma was
identified as the most significant effect of
suicide and suicidal behaviour
Intervention: the study findings indicated that
73% of the participants believed that it was
possible to prevent suicide, with 42% believing
the same on condition that support is made
available

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
questionnaire to
gather data from
the respondents
Freuchen,
Kjelsberg, &
Grøholt (2012).
Comparison of
quantitative
data
The study
adopted data
form a
countrywide
psychological
autopsy of
adolescents aged
15 years and
below who had
succumbed to
suicide or
accidents in
Norway (n=84).
A distinction
between the two
death causes
were determined
as well
The study found out that victims of young
suicide cases had less risk factors and less
attempted suicide compared with the older
youths.
Risk factor for suicide: mental health issues,
self-harm, attempted suicide among others
Mental health: most parents attributed suicide
behaviour in their children to mental health
problem
Asarnow, Hughes,
Babeva, & Sugar
(2017).
Randomised
control trial
A randomised
control trial was
carried out on
youths of 12-18
years who had
experienced
attempted
suicide or any
other self-harm
in the past 3
months. The
adolescents
The authors found out that there were high
chances of survival in the absence of suicide
attempt during the follow-up after
administering the SAFETY programme to
youths compared to the Education and support
accessing community treatment (E-TAU).
Thus SAFETY is the most appropriate
approach in the prevention of suicide attempts

Suicide and Attempted Suicide
were
randomized to
SAFETY or
normal
intervention as
advocated by
parental
education. The
findings were
assessed at
baseline, 3
months before
and after the
intervention
period, with a
follow-up of six
to twelve
months.
Czyz, Horwitz,
Eisenberg,Kramer,
& King (2013
Web-based
questionnaire
The study aimed
at exploring
self-recorded
barriers to
expert aid
seeking among
college students
at increased risk
of suicide and
ascertain
whether the
hindrances are
different based
on the clinical
features and
The study found out that the leading barrier to
seeking for professional aid was the notion that
treatment is unnecessary (66%) with stigma
(12%) being reported as the least barrier.
Self-reported barriers to seeking the advice of
professionals:
The students considered the suicide behaviours
as inconsequential hence no need for
professional help. 18% preferred self-
managing their issues using self-help methods