SUICIDE in RURAL & REMOTE AREAS of AUSTRALIA - Living is for ...

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Suicide in rural and remote areas of Australia
within culture in terms of ‘sorry cuts’ or ‘anger cuts’;
here, there may be no intention to die but desires
to cope with seemingly unbearable pain, relieve
stress, express rage or seek attention (Ollapallil et
al, 2008).
Migrants are another group that may prove
vulnerable to self-harm and suicidal behaviours
within a rural environment, especially young men.
While research has indicated that suicide risk tends
to be lower among migrants in Australia overall, a
study undertaken in New South Wales indicated
that migrants males had a higher suicide rate when
they lived in ‘non-metropolitan’ areas (Morrell et al,
1999). However, the suicide rates of female migrants
did not change signifi cantly depending upon their
geographical location. It can be argued that these
higher suicide rates are connected to a lack of social
connectedness and increased social dislocation
felt by migrants in small communities, especially
if they hail from non-English-speaking countries.
Macintyre et al (2002) refers to the challenges
faced by migrants in these rural geographical areas
as ‘incompatible status’.
Much has been written about the high rates of suicidal
behaviours among Australian youth, especially high
among those youth living in rural areas. Between
1999 and 2003, research indicated that the gap
between the suicide rates of males aged 25-34 years
living in metropolitan and remote areas increased
signifi cantly (Page et al, 2007). A signifi cant increase
in rural female suicide was also demonstrated (Ibid.).
Bourke (2003) has conducted in-depth interviews
with rural youth about suicide. She has found that
youth are vulnerable when they are marginalised
from their community; this may happen if they reject
(either voluntarily or involuntarily) the prevailing
community norms regarding un/acceptable attitudes
and behaviours (Barnes et al, 2004; Bourke, 2003,
2001). These norms may be different for males and
females but the negative consequences attached
to non-conformity remains the same. Further, when
faced with life stressors, there may have been few
adults capable, competent or willing to provide
assistance to a young person in crisis. Bourke found
that: “For the most part, teachers did not want to be
counsellors and indicated that it was problematic to
know about a student’s problems while also being
a local resident and perhaps a friend of the young
person’s parents” (2003, p. 2361). Nor did young
people appear to always discuss their suicidal
ideation with their peers. Responses from Bourke’s
(2003) research appeared to indicate that some
young people saw suicidal ideation as a ‘one-off’
experience which occurred in state of irrationality;
in this way, they had no tools with which to more
effectively combat any future ideation. Further, young
men may be more prone to reacting aggressively
to problems, including physical altercations with
others, which “…was accepted as ‘the way it is’. Is
it any wonder, then, that when the problem is the
self, resolution is via self-harm” (Bourke, 2003, p.
2361; see also Quine et al, 2003).
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