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3.8 Suicide and self-harmBox 3.8.1Key messages• Suicide death rates were higher for Indigenous people (between 18.8 and45.0 per 100 000 population) than non-Indigenous people (between 10.8 and15.5 per 100 000 population) in Queensland, WA, SA and the NT for 2001 to 2005(figure 3.8.1).• In 2004-05, after adjusting for age differences, 3 in every 1000 Indigenous peoplewere hospitalised for non-fatal intentional self-harm, compared with 2 per 1000non-Indigenous people (table 3.8.1). There were no significant trends inhospitalisation rates for intentional self-harm between 2001-02 and 2004-05(figure 3.8.4).Suicide and self-harm cause great grief in both Indigenous and non-Indigenouscommunities. Studies investigating suicide in Indigenous communities have beenundertaken in NSW and the ACT (Tatz 1999), North Queensland (Hunter et al.2001; Hunter and Harvey 2002) and the NT (Measey et al. 2006; Parker andBen-Tovim 2001).Many studies (Elliott-Farrelly 2004; Hunter et al. 2001; Hunter and Harvey 2002;Parker and Ben-Tovim 2001; Tatz 1999) have suggested that there are significantdifferences in suicidal behaviour not only between Indigenous and non-Indigenouspopulations, but also between different Indigenous communities. This indicates thatIndigenous suicide is influenced by a complex set of factors relating to history ofdispossession, removal from family, discrimination, resilience, social capital andsocio-economic status.Studies have found that Indigenous suicides appear to occur in clusters, and that thevictims may share common age groups, genders and methods (Elliott-Farrelly2004). Suicide frequently occurs in communities that have experienced similarlosses in the past, and where ‘lifestyles of risk’ are common. Suicide is oftenimpulsive, and may be preceded by interpersonal conflicts (Hunter et al. 2001; Tatz1999).Evidence indicates that Indigenous suicide is most common among young men,while suicide attempts seem to be more prevalent for women (Elliott-Farrelly 2004).A study by Hunter on self-harming behaviour among young Indigenous people(1993) found that those who had attempted suicide reported a high level of anxietyand depression. Mental and behavioural disorders are often associated with anincreased risk of self-harm, as is alcohol and substance abuse (Swan and RaphaelHEADLINEINDICATORS73