Coroners' Records of Rural and Non-Rural Cases of Youth Suicide in New South Wales

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the frequency of certain putative risk factors for youth suicide in New South Wales (especially use of alcohol, social class, unemployment, and internal migration) in metropolitan and rural settings.

Method: A review of 137 files for 10–19-year-old subjects judged by the Coroner to have committed suicide in 1988–1990 was carried out.

Results: One hundred and fifteen males and 21 females were identified (one subject's sex was unavailable). The male-female ratio was higher in rural (13.0) areas than non-rural (4.9; χ² = 12.14, p<0.01). Of 27 subjects migrating within Australia, most migrated in a rural direction, and most to rural shires. Unemployment was somewhat more common among rural (38.5%) than non-rural (28.9%) subjects (χ² = 0.75, p = 0.39). Eleven of 50 non-rural parents of the deceased, but none of the 11 rural parents, were ranked as being in social classes 2 or 3. Alcohol consumption appeared more common in rural shires (44%) than metropolitan areas (32.9%), but this was not statistically significant. Medical services were less utilised prior to death in rural (15%) than non-rural (25%) areas (χ² = 1.69, p = 0.19), and a psychiatric diagnosis was recorded more commonly in non-rural areas.

Conclusions: Incomplete coronial file data and relatively small numbers limit this study's conclusions. Male suicides, principally by firearms, predominated in rural areas. Youth firearm access remains highly relevant to rural communities. Possible trends among rural subjects toward rural migration, higher unemployment, lower social class and lower medical attendance may point to resource deprivation among this group; these matters require further investigation.