Suicide risk factors and patterns of service use among people accessing specialist homeless services: insights from novel data linkage
This study presents a new analysis of suicide risk factors—including mental health issues, domestic violence, and substance abuse—among individuals accessing specialist homeless services (SHS). Using a novel data linkage approach, the analysis integrates data from the SHS collection, the MBS, and the PBS to better understand the relationship between homelessness and suicide risk.
Updated analysis: Patterns of health service use in the last year of life among those who died by suicide
Building on the previous study, this analysis further examines health service use and risk factors in the 12 months preceding suicide, highlighting important intervention points for suicide prevention. This analysis utilises the newly updated National Health Data Hub, combining data on deaths, hospitalisations, MBS, PBS, and aged care services to provide a comprehensive view of health service usage among those who died by suicide.
Work towards understanding death by suicide among unemployment income support recipients
This presentation highlights our most recent findings from a project that aims to better understand suicide among those who receive Centrelink unemployment support payments. We seek to identify groups of recipients that may benefit from increased support. This is in line with the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, which recognises ‘People experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage’ as a priority population.
Development and validation of an up-to-date Australian population job exposure matrix
Working conditions are recognised to be one key factor underpinning occupation-related suicide risk. Job exposure matrices (JEMs) can capture psychosocial job hazards such as job-control, -demands, -strain, and -insecurity, as well as other potentially harmful aspects of work such as precarious employment, but there is currently no JEM specific to the Australian population. The JEM draws on HILDA survey data and has potential to be linked to other datasets and capacity to expand to include newly identified occupational hazards.
Monitoring suicide in real time
Many state and territory suicide registers now provide near-real time information on the incidence of suicide. However, tools to understand and interpret the data have yet to be developed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of statistical control chart methodology for monitoring monthly suicides. The use of statistical control methodology could provide decision-makers with better information on when suicides are increasing, for whom, and what the possible causes of that increase might be.