Rethinking Suicide in Rural Australia: A study Protocol for Examining and Applying Knowledge of the Social Determinants to Improve Prevention in Non-Indigenous Populations

Scott J. Fitzpatrick, Bronwyn K. Brew, Donna M. Y. Read, Kerry J. Inder, Alan Hayes and David Perkins
Additional contact information
Scott J. Fitzpatrick: Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, The University of Newcastle, PO Box 8043, Orange East, NSW 2800, Australia
Bronwyn K. Brew: Centre for Big Data Research in Health and National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, School of Women and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales, Level 4, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Cnr High & Botany St, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
Donna M. Y. Read: Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, The University of Newcastle, PO Box 8043, Orange East, NSW 2800, Australia
Kerry J. Inder: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Alan Hayes: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
David Perkins: Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, The University of Newcastle, PO Box 8043, Orange East, NSW 2800, Australia

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-13

Abstract: Disproportionate rates of suicide in rural Australia in comparison to metropolitan areas pose a significant public health challenge. The dynamic interrelationship between mental and physical health, social determinants, and suicide in rural Australia is widely acknowledged. Advancement of this knowledge, however, remains hampered by a lack of adequate theory and methods to understand how these factors interact, and the translation of this knowledge into constructive strategies and solutions. This paper presents a protocol for generating a comprehensive dataset of suicide deaths and factors related to suicide in rural Australia, and for building a program of research to improve suicide prevention policy and practice to better address the social determinants of suicide in non-indigenous populations. The two-phased study will use a mixed-methods design informed by intersectionality theory. Phase One will extract, code, and analyse quantitative and qualitative data on suicide in regional and remote Australia from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS). Phase Two will analyse suicide prevention at three interrelated domains: policy, practice, and research, to examine alignment with evidence generated in Phase One. Findings from Phase One and Two will then be integrated to identify key points in suicide prevention policy and practice where action can be initiated.

Keywords: suicide; suicide prevention; rural Australia; social determinants; intersectionality; public health; mixed methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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