Medical disorders of suicides in Australia: analysis using a multiple-cause-of-death approach

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2005-07, Vol.61 (2), p.333-341
• Main Authors: Ruzicka, Lado T., Choi, Ching Y., Sadkowsky, Krys
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; AIDS; Australia; Australia - epidemiology; Australia Suicide Suicidal behaviour Mental disorders Chronic illness HIV; Behavioral sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Cause of Death; Causes; Chronic Illness; Death Certificates; Discourse analysis; Disease - psychology; Female; General aspects; Health; Health Problems; HIV; HIV/AIDS; Humans; Illness; Male; Medical disorders; Medical sciences; Medicine; Mental disorders; Mental health; Miscellaneous; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Sickness; Suicidal behaviour; Suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; Terminal illness
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.12.005

The impaired health of a person who has committed suicide is often suggested among the proximate causes of suicidal behaviour. The introduction in 1997 of multiple-cause-of-death coding by the Australian Bureau of Statistics provided an opportunity to examine health impairments recorded on the death certificates of suicides. Data for the quinquennium 1997–2001 revealed a high prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders, in particular among women and among young and adolescent suicides. Comparison of multiple causes of death attributed to those who died in accidents with those recorded as suicides revealed that of the chronic and terminal illnesses, HIV and cancer were probably the conditions likely to trigger suicidal action.