Background: In Australia, where over seven million people come from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, there exists a considerable knowledge gap regarding suicide mortality within these populations. Using an intersectionality lens, our mixed-methods study aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to suicide in CALD migrants and to identify specific groups that may require tailored support.
Methods: The National Coronial Information System (NCIS) data was used from 2006-2019, including 36086 cases. 80 police and coroners' reports were analysed to identify factors that may contribute to suicide deaths. Stratified by sex, we assessed the suicide risk using three sets of analyses (all populations included aged 15 & above, young people aged 15-24, and older adults aged 65 & above) for six migrant groups from Oceania, Asia, Africa, Middle East, South and Central America, and English-speaking countries with reference to Australian-born.
Results: At the entire population level, the suicide risk of CALD migrants in all sub-groups is lower than the Australian-born; however, it changed in younger and older migrant groups. Amongst young male CALD migrants, those from Oceania countries have a 40% higher suicide risk than the Australian-born. Among older migrant adults (aged 65 and above), Asian women, European women, and European men have a substantially higher risk of suicide than their Australian-born counterparts. At the entire population level, the suicide rate of Oceania migrants was noted as consistently high over the years in both men and women, whereas the suicide rate of African migrant women increased by 8% during 2006-2015.
Our qualitative analysis challenges prevailing notions surrounding migrant suicide. Among the working-age population, work-related stressors are noted as the most cited reason for suicide, followed by relationship issues, financial adversity, and mental illness. Contrary to the common understanding that migrants do not disclose suicidal thoughts, our findings reveal that most individuals had disclosed their suicide intention to family members or had previously attempted suicide. Among young migrants, there is some indication of sub-optimal engagement with health services shortly before suicide. For older adults, the presence of chronic health conditions, mental health issues, or persistent pain before their death suggests a potential association with suicide.
Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of using intersectionality to understand the suicide mortality of Australian migrants. Collaborative research, including people with lived experience, is needed to understand these differences and develop tailored prevention strategies.