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Prevalence of suicidal behaviours in two Australian general population surveys: methodological considerations when comparing across studies

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate whether methodological differences between two Australian general population surveys have the capacity to affect the apparent prevalence rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Methods

609 Wave 1 of the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project participants, and 83 participants derived from the 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHWB) met the criteria for inclusion (suicidal ideation/suicide attempt). Analysis involved Chi-square and binary logistic regression.

Results

Twelve-month prevalence rates for suicidal ideation and suicide attempt were 8.2%, (95% CI = 7.6–8.8) and 0.8% (95% CI = 0.6–1.0) for PATH (N = 7,485), and contrast with 2.9% (95% CI = 2.6–3.2) and 0.3% (95% CI = 0.2–0.5) for NSMHWB (N = 10,641) samples, respectively. While notable discrepancies are apparent between the prevalence statistics, both sets of statistics are within the bounds of other Australian and international studies. Parallel rate disparities for suicidal ideation are found across age-by-gender groups. Aside from differences in the basic prevalence rates, surveys have analogous age-by-gender profiles for suicidal ideation.

Conclusions

While it is possible that samples are representative of the populations from which they are derived, 12-month prevalence rate discrepancies between PATH and NSMHWB surveys are likely to originate from demographic and survey methodology differences. Where investigations employ different methodologies, especially in relation to modes of survey administration and the assessment items utilised, a cautious approach should be taken when comparing findings.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Trish Jacomb, Karen Maxwell and the PATH interviewers for their assistance with the study. Funding was provided by National Health and Medical Research Council Grants 179805 and 79839, a grant from the Alcohol-Related Medical Research Grant Scheme of the Australian Brewers’ Foundation and a grant from the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund. Professor Kaarin Anstey was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship Grant (366756). During the time the original research was conducted, Dr Kate Fairweather-Schmidt was partially supported by an AFFIRM scholarship, and is currently supported by a Freemason Foundation Centre for Men’s Health Fellowship. We would also like to acknowledge Professor Tony Jorm, Professor Helen Christensen and Professor Bryan Rodgers, who are also chief investigators of the PATH Through Life Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    A. Kate Fairweather-Schmidt

  2. Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Kaarin J. Anstey

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  1. A. Kate Fairweather-Schmidt
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  2. Kaarin J. Anstey
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Correspondence to A. Kate Fairweather-Schmidt.

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Fairweather-Schmidt, A.K., Anstey, K.J. Prevalence of suicidal behaviours in two Australian general population surveys: methodological considerations when comparing across studies. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47, 515–522 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0369-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0369-5

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