Suicide by Aboriginal people in South Australia: comparison with suicide deaths in the total urban and rural populations

Abstract

To ascertain the number of recorded deaths by suicide of Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginals in South Australian urban and rural areas over the period 1981-1988. The South Australian Coroner's records were examined by one of the authors and an Aboriginal research officer in consultation with members of the South Australian Aboriginal community (who identified Aboriginal suicides wrongly recorded as non-Aboriginal suicides). There was a major increase in suicide by Aboriginal people, both urban and rural, over that period, not marked by a similar increase for non-Aboriginal South Australians. A comparison can be drawn with reports of suicide by American Indians. It is possible that Aboriginal deaths by suicide can be ascribed to "anomie" (a concept first developed by Durkheim of social disintegration affecting tribal peoples under colonisation). The paper highlights the need for the development of successful intervention programmes in Aboriginal health.