This week the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the Causes of Death data for 2019...
This week the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the Causes of Death data for 2019...
64 people a week, a total of 3 318 people in the year are reported as taking their own lives in 2019.
This is around 200 more people a year than 2018. I can only imagine what this will look like for 2020, ( when the data is available in 12-18 months time.)
Key Intentional self-harm (suicide) Data, Australia 2019:
There were 3,318 registered deaths by suicide .
In 2018 there were 3,138 registered deaths by suicide.
Suicide was the 13th leading cause of death.
Gender
There were 2,502 male suicides and 816 female suicide deaths.
The median age of death due to suicide was 43.9 years of age for males and 44.0 years of age for females.
Age
More than half of all suicides in 2019 (54.7%) occurred between the ages of 30 and 59.
The median age at death for suicide was 43.9 years of age, compared to 81.7 years of age for all deaths.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged between 15-49 and the second leading cause of death for those aged between 50-54.
Over one-third of all deaths in people aged 15-24 are due to suicide.
Children ( ages 5 - 17 )
There were 96 recorded suicides in this age group, with suicide remaining the leading cause of death of children in Australia.
The child suicide rate for males was 3.0 per 100,000 (63 deaths), while for females it was 1.7 per 100,000 (33 deaths).
Over 80% of child suicides in 2019 occurred between the ages 15 to 17.
For the period 2015-2019, Northern Territory reported the highest rate of child suicide deaths
Suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between 2015-2019.
One-third (32.4%) of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child deaths occurred due to suicide in this period.
Children aged 15-17 years accounted for almost 80% of all child suicides among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Males and females each accounted for approximately half of all child suicide deaths.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
There were 195 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who died by suicide in 2019 (27.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 persons).
The rate of suicide deaths has increased from 21.3 in 2010-2014 to 24.6 in 2015-2019.
Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The median age at death due to suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 29.8 years.
Male suicides account for 70.3% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides.
The median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide was 30.5 years of age for males and 27.0 years of age for females.
Most suicides in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people occur between the ages of 15 and 44 (83.2%).
The male suicide rate peaks between 25 and 34 years, at 72.5 deaths per 100,000.
Female suicide is the highest among those aged 15-24 years and decreases with increasing age.
Location
Increases in numbers of suicide deaths were recorded between 2018 and 2019 for all states except Queensland.
New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland account for almost three-quarters of registered suicides.
The Northern Territory recorded the highest suicide death rate of 21.0 followed by Tasmania at 19.5.
The 2019 suicide death rate in Tasmania was the highest recorded over the last 10 years.
There are systemic problems with our health, “justice”, and social support systems, workplaces and society overall that contribute to people of all ages taking their own lives. While they are problems that shouldn’t be as challenging to solve as they are, they are complex and require deep, systemic change at all levels, so let’s not hold our breathe waiting for the institutions of government and corporate to catch up.
There are however many organisations, services, programs and resources available to support people from every type of community who need almost any type of support with their mental health needs, or to share with friends and family. This ever growing directory aims to highlight and simplify the mental health services landscape in Australia, and may be helpful when needed. https://www.craigontoast.com/mental-health-support
However each of us also have important roles to play in our own and others lives that can contribute to improving life for us all. We obviously all need to protect ourselves, are imperfect, and are only capable of so much. We’re not super human, but we can change, and we need to.
If we could stop judging, stop bullying, stop abandoning, stop ignoring, stop attacking each other - and a little controversially and contradictory- stop hoping and expecting that someone else will save us - and instead used that energy in more understanding, positive and productive ways, we could make a positive impact on the lives of people living with mental health conditions, and/or those who feel things like:
- they are alone, not noticed and/or not cared about;
- life is too hard, disappointing or overwhelming, hurtful or stagnant;
- they have no strength, control or power; or even
- they just don’t want theirs any more..
We all have the power to help ourselves and others, even if we don’t know it.. it’s just a matter of knowing how, taking the time for a friend and offering what we can when we can.
Got a feeling that someone you know or care about it isn’t behaving as they normally would? Perhaps they seem out of sorts? More agitated or withdrawn?
By starting a conversation and commenting on the changes you’ve noticed, you could help that family member, friend or workmate open up. If they say they are not ok, you can follow our conversation steps to show them they’re supported and help them find strategies to better manage the load.
To quote the words of the wonderful Katherine Newton, R U OK Day CEO...
“The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today released the annual Causes of Death data reporting that in 2019 there were 3,318 deaths by suicide compared with 3,138 in 2018.
We are saddened by the increase in the number of deaths by suicide and acknowledge that every number reflects a life tragically lost and the devastating impact on those left behind.
To all those impacted by suicide, our thoughts are with you. Our team care deeply about suicide prevention and it is what drives us to continue our work addressing social connections and early intervention.”
Media Release: 23 October Today the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the Causes of Death data for 2019
References
Causes of Death Data, Australia 2019
Statistics on the number of deaths, by sex, selected age groups, and cause of death classified to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)