FYI From the Latest issue of Social Science and Medicine
BW
David McDaid
LSE Health and Social Care
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Social Science and Medicine
61(7):1551-1559
Richard Taylora, , Andrew Pagea, Stephen Morrella, James Harrisonb and Greg
Carterc

aSchool of Public Health, University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building, A27,
Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
bResearch Centre for Injury Studies, Flinders University, Australia
cDiscipline of Psychiatry, University of Newcastle, Australia

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.02.009

Available online 18 April 2005
Abstract
This paper investigates the relationship between suicide rates and
prevalence of mental disorder and suicide attempts, across socio-economic
status (SES) groups based on area of residence. Australian suicide data
(1996-1998) were analysed in conjunction with area-based prevalences of
mental disorder derived from the National Survey of Mental Health and
Well-Being (1997). Poisson regression models of suicide risk included age,
quintile of area-based SES, urban-rural residence, and country of birth
(COB), with males and females analysed separately. Analysis focussed on the
association between suicide and prevalences of (ICD-10) affective
disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders and suicide attempts
by SES group. Prevalences of other psychiatric symptomatology, substance
use problems, health service utilisation, stressful life-events and
personality were also investigated.
Significant increasing gradients were evident from high to low SES groups
for prevalences of affective disorders, anxiety disorders (females only),
and substance use disorders (males only); sub-threshold drug and alcohol
problems and depression; and suicide attempts and suicide (males only).
Prevalences of mental disorder, other sub-threshold mental health items and
suicide attempts were significantly associated with suicide, but in most
cases associations were reduced in magnitude and became statistically
non-significant after adjustment for COB, urban-rural residence, and SES.
For male suicide the relative risk (RR) in the lowest SES group compared to
the highest was 1.40 (95% CI 1.29-1.52,for male youth (20-34 years). This
relationship was not substantially modified in males when regression models
included prevalences of affective disorders, and other selected mental
health variables and demographic factors.
From a population perspective, SES remained significantly associated with
suicide after controlling for the prevalence of mental disorders and other
psychiatric symptomatology. Mental conditions and previous suicidal
behaviour may play an intermediary role between SES and suicide, but this
study suggests that an independent relationship between suicide and SES
also exists.
 Keywords: Suicide; Socio-economic factors; Mental disorders; Australia

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