High-Risk Suicide Locations in Australia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Environmental Criminology

Background:

• Suicide prevention interventions are effective but limited by lack of knowledge on high-risk locations.
• Identifying specific geographic areas and associated factors is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify high-risk suicide locations across Australia.
• To determine the sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with the selection of these high-risk locations.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study utilizing data from the National Coronial Information System (2001-2017).
• Spatial cluster detection using the scan statistic to identify high-risk locations.
• Multivariable logistic regression to analyze factors associated with location choice.

Main Results:

• 17 high-risk suicide locations were identified, accounting for 4.6% of public place suicides.
• Cliffs and bridges were the most common high-risk locations (82.2%).
• Being female, employed, never married, and from a major city were associated with choosing high-risk locations.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified key high-risk suicide locations and associated factors in Australia.
• Findings underscore the need for targeted suicide prevention efforts at identified locations, particularly cliffs and bridges in urban areas.