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Canterbury Suicide Project - Current Research Projects

1. Multiple Group Case Control Study of Suicide and Medically Serious Suicide Attempts

(funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, and supported by Healthlink South and the Canterbury Area Health Board)

This project is a multi-group case-control study in which 302 individuals who made medically serious suicide attempts and 202 individuals who died by suicide are compared with 1,028 control subjects randomly selected from the Canterbury community.

The major aims of this project are:

• to examine a series of issues related to suicidal behaviour in people of all ages, including the prevalence of suicide and serious suicide attempt behaviour, the characteristics of those who die by suicide and those who make medically serious suicide attempts;
• to examine the extent to which a range of potential risk factors contributes to risk of suicidal behaviour.

Thus far, this study has produced a number of papers examining risk factors for suicidal behaviour in youth (15-24 years), adults and older adults (link to Publications). The major findings highlight the strong role of mental disorder in serious suicide attempt and completed suicide in people of all ages.

2. Longitudinal (Follow-up) Studies Of Those Making Medically Serious Suicide Attempts

(funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand)

Five-year Longitudinal Study

This project is a five-year longitudinal study of the 302 individuals in the case-control study described above who made serious suicide attempts. In this study these individuals have been followed up with personal interviews 6, 18. 30 and 60 months after their index medically serious suicide attempt.

The major aims of this project are:

• to estimate the risk of suicide and further suicide attempts during the five years following a serious suicide attempt;
• to examine the role of a range of sociodemographic, psychosocial, psychiatric and therapeutic factors in risk of subsequent suicidal behaviour and improvement or deterioration in mental health;
• to provide an account of current therapeutic management and care for those who make serious suicide attempts.

Thus far, this study has produced findings which suggest that those who make serious suicide attempts which require hospital admission and treatment, but which are, however, not fatal, are a population whose lives in the five years subsequent to such attempts are often bleak, and blighted by a range of adverse outcomes. They have high rates of mortality, and of suicide, further suicide attempts, psychiatric hospital admission, mental health problems (including, particularly, mood disorders and substance use disorders), and of a range of psychosocial problems. Clearly, those who make serious suicide attempts are a readily identifiable population at high risk of suicide and further suicide attempt who require intensive and long-term treatment, management and support.

3. Ten-year Longitudinal Study

(funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand)

The five-year study (above) has been extended to a ten-year follow-up study of those 302 individuals who made serious suicide attempts.

The major aims of this project are:

• To use the existing database of the 5-year follow-up study to address key issues relating to the subsequent life history of those who make serious suicide attempts. These issues include:
• recurrence of suicidal behaviour;
• the 5-year overall mortality and suicide mortality;
• assessment of risk and resiliency factors associated with recurrence of suicidal behaviour;
• analysis of the life history and mental health history of the panel;
• the panel's naturalistic treatment experience.

In addition, it is proposed to supplement the 5-year analyses with a 10-year follow-up of the panel by:

• collecting mortality data to establish 10-year survival rates,
• conducting a psychological autopsy study of all members of the panel who died during the 10-year follow-up period to describe the characteristics of those who die subsequent to serious suicide attempts.

4. The Impact of Suicide on Families Bereaved by Suicide

funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and Lottery Health)

This study examines the short and longer-term impact of suicide on surviving family members. This study has been undertaken throughout the South Island in a consecutive series of 106 families experiencing suicide.

The major aims of this project are:

• to examine the short-term (acute) impact of the suicide on close family members;
• to explore the longer-term impact of the suicide death on risks of mental disorder, personal adjustment and suicidal behaviour among close family members.

5. The impact of the reinstallation of safety barriers to prevent suicide at Grafton Bridge

(funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand)

This study will examine the impact of the reinstallation of safety barriers at Grafton Bridge on rates of suicide from the bridge. The aims of this study are to gather data relating to numbers and rates of suicide by jumping in Auckland and at Grafton Bridge, over the period from 1990 to 2004, in order to examine the ways in which these rates change after removal of the barriers (1996 to 2002), and following reinstatement of the barriers (2002 to 2004).

The specific aims of this study are to examine the extent to which:
i. the removal and reinstallation of safety barriers at Grafton Bridge influence rates of suicide by jumping from the Bridge, and,
i. the removal and reinstallation of barriers are associated with changes in rates of suicide by jumping in the population at large.

6. Database on suicidal behaviours in adults and older adults

The Canterbury Suicide Project now has a very extensive database of suicidal behaviour in people of all ages. In recent years this database has placed the project in a strong position to provide evidence based analyses, and expert advice, to a range of Government departments and national stakeholders about policies and approaches that are likely to be of value in addressing youth suicide prevention.

Within New Zealand the recent political, public and policy focus on youth suicide has tended to obscure the fact that the clear majority (almost 80%) of suicide deaths occur in adults and older adults aged 25 and older. Internationally, there is emerging interest in the issue of suicide in adults and older adults. The CSP has a large database about adult and older adult suicide, and is well positioned to provide data, evaluation and comment on these issues.

7. Database on suicide in Canterbury

The Canterbury Suicide Project has maintained a database of suicide deaths in Canterbury since 1991. In 2003 we plan to summarise these data and provide an account of suicide mortality in the Canterbury region over all ages for the period from 1992 -2000.

8. Other research work

In addition to the major research projects outlined above, the CSP has undertaken a variety of other work including smaller research projects on a range of suicide related issues, the development of guidelines for suicide prevention for a range of professional groups, and the provision of reviews of specific suicide related topics.

The current focus of the study is on continued data analysis, further publications, information dissemination and promoting the need for a national suicide prevention strategy to provide a framework for suicide prevention in adult and older adult populations as well as youth.

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