Statistics

[wishfulthinking]

The news was talking about new research that shows that 80% of suicides in Australia are by males. I found this shocking and surprising, but admittedly it is not something I gave much thought to.

 

[amicus]

Thought I was the only one to off a post and get no comments. Since I dislike seeing that, I googled, “Australia suicide statistics” a found pages of information.

Several years back, on a poetry site, there was a flurry of teenage suicides, mostly young girls and I did some research. I discovered that while many more girls attempt suicide, but ‘cutting’ and such, that the actual rates of suicide by boys was much higher.

Hope this helps…

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http://www.wesleymission.org.au/publications/r&d/suicide.htm


http://www.wesleymission.org.au/publications/r&d/suicide.htm#glance


Statistics at a Glance

"...80% of suicides in 1998 were committed by men, a total of 2,150.55
More men are killing themselves than are dying in road accidents.56
Men aged 25-44 made up about 40% of total suicides for 1998.
The number of suicides by men aged 25-44 has risen by 44% since 1979.57

Throughout Australia's history, males have always committed suicide at greater rates than females even though females have traditionally attempted suicide at greater rates than men.55 Whereas long term trends show a relatively stable incidence of female suicide in Australia, the picture for men is substantially different. In fact, the rise in suicide in recent years is almost wholly attributable to an increase in male suicide.

Men of all age groups in Australia are far more likely than women to die from suicide, with 1998 rates at 23 per 100,000 men (2,150 deaths) compared with 5.7 per 100,000 women (533 deaths). Rates for men have been consistently higher than for women throughout the time Australian data have been collected.58

In recent times, there has been a strong emphasis on male youth suicide, both in the media and in funding from government bodies. The under 20 age group was seen as the most 'at risk', and initiatives developed which addressed youth issues and youth suicide.

An analysis of the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics suicide rates by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare dispels the widely held belief that suicide is primarily a problem among Australian youth. Their findings show that the rise in male suicide has been almost entirely due to an increase in the rates for males aged over the age of 20. Men in the 20-39 year age group now have the highest suicide rate. In a surprising contrast, the rates of male teenage suicide are much lower than for all other age groups.

Moreover, the number of suicides among older age groups can be expected to rise, given that they constitute the fastest growing segment of the population..."


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Tons of information at those links...just excerpted a pertinent part.



amicus

 

[rgraham666]

The news was talking about new research that shows that 80% of suicides in Australia are by males. I found this shocking and surprising, but admittedly it is not something I gave much thought to.

If the statistics are anything like they are here, men and women attempt suicide at about the same rate.

Men succeed more often. Mostly because they choose a method more likely to succeed, like jumping off a building or sticking a gun in their mouths.

Women choose methods more survivable like drug overdoses or hanging.

 

[cloudy]

Suicide among Native American youth is reaching epidemic proportions: during the period from 1979-1992, suicide rates for Native Americans (a category that includes American Indians and Alaska Natives) were about 1.5 times the national rates-a disproportionate number of suicides (64%) were among young male Native Americans between 15-24 years of age.

 

[human_male]

I live in the country that has the highest rate of suicide in the developed world. Although the reasons for someone doing it are complicated, if you asked me, I'd say lonliness and feelings of isolation is the biggest single factor.

 

[3113]

I live in the country that has the highest rate of suicide in the developed world. Although the reasons for someone doing it are complicated, if you asked me, I'd say lonliness and feelings of isolation is the biggest single factor.

I have to ask...New Zealand is a lonely, isolated place? I'm not trying to be funny, just curious; I don't know much at all about living in N.Z. and just because a place looks beautiful and all doesn't mean it's a happy place to grow up in.

 

[Liar]

I live in the country that has the highest rate of suicide in the developed world. Although the reasons for someone doing it are complicated, if you asked me, I'd say lonliness and feelings of isolation is the biggest single factor.

I thought that was Finland.

Or, according to WHO, Lithuania. Depends on where you draw the border of the developed world though, but it is an EU state, after all.

Anyway, in response to wishful's statistic of 80% being male... it's not that uncommon globally either. Male suicides outnumbers female pretty much everywhere by a ratio of between 3 to 1 and 5 to 1.

http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suiciderates/en/

 

[human_male]

I have to ask...New Zealand is a lonely, isolated place? I'm not trying to be funny, just curious; I don't know much at all about living in N.Z. and just because a place looks beautiful and all doesn't mean it's a happy place to grow up in.

To me it's just so hard to meet people here. I can't really explain it, and I'm not exactly objective about this, but it's basically the land of the lonely single men. And I don't know why.

 

[xssve]

Alchoholism, I'm guessing, has a lot to do with suicide rates in Au, NZ,, and almost certainly the Nations - just a guess, but a CNS depressent combined with other stressors probobly increases the liklihood of a suicide attempt.

 

[wishfulthinking]

Alchoholism, I'm guessing, has a lot to do with suicide rates in Au, NZ,, and almost certainly the Nations - just a guess, but a CNS depressent combined with other stressors probobly increases the liklihood of a suicide attempt.

I don't know the reasons, but the highest group is male teens.

Rob, I didn't think about the attempt to 'successful' ratio. I would think men likely try hanging, where as women use raisers - only 'think' mind, could be myth speaking.

Cloudy, are there any reasons why Native Americans have a higher rate? Is it similiar to Australia in terms of dispossession and hundreds of years of laws that discriminate in effect?

 

[wishfulthinking]

To me it's just so hard to meet people here. I can't really explain it, and I'm not exactly objective about this, but it's basically the land of the lonely single men. And I don't know why.

Anywhere i would say is hard to meet singles. NZ must be different from Oz, because I thought here there were more single women then men(?).

 

[human_male]

Anywhere i would say is hard to meet singles. NZ must be different from Oz, because I thought here there were more single women then men(?).

I believe the man drought is a myth created largely by the media. You wouldn't see any real evidence of it if you came here. For example if you go to a pub or party there'd be heaps more single men than women. I've never seen any evidence of a man drought but then again my view may be slightly skewed on the subject, and what's more I'm a shut in.

And you're right, it's hard everywhere.