RESEARCH SUMMARY

March 31, 2017

Farm-related suicides in New Zealand, 2007-2015: A review of coroners’ records.

A report of research conducted by Annette Beautrais PhD, for RHAANZ, funded by AgResearch

BACKGROUND

The Global Dairy Crisis of 2015/2016, coupled with severe drought in some regions, led to an economic downturn in the New Zealand farming industry, and raised fears about increased suicide rates in people employed in farm-related work. However, little evidence about the characteristics of farm-related suicide deaths was available to inform suicide prevention efforts and to provide a baseline against which any changes in suicide rates could be assessed. To address this gap, AgResearchcontracted RHANZ to gather information about recent farm-related suicide deaths in New Zealand.

FINDINGS

Number of Farm-related suicides

We collated data about the number of farm-related suicide deaths in New Zealand from 1/07/2007 to 30/06/2016. These data were provided by the Office of the Chief Coroner. Note that the most recent data (for years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016) are provisional and include some suspected suicide deaths for which coronial inquests have not yet been held. These data are provided in Table 1, and show that the average number of suicides per year from 2007 to 2016 was 23. Importantly, farm-related suicide numbers did not increase dramatically in 2015/2016.In fact, data from 1/07/2007 to 30/06/2016 suggest declining numbers: The mean number of suicides for the first three years of the sequence (2007 to 2010) was 28 and the mean number of suicides for the last three years of the sequence (2013 to 2016) was 21(see Table 1 below, and associated graph of 3-year rolling averages).

Table 1. Number of farm-related suicides
Year (01/07 to 30/6) / N
2007/2008 / 29
2008/2009 / 29
2009/2010 / 26
2010/2011 / 24
2011/2012 / 22
2012/2013 / 17
2013/2014 / 20
2014/2015* / 26
2015/2016* / 17
Total* / 210

*Includes some provisional data

Characteristics of farm-related suicides

Information was abstracted from coroners’ records for a consecutive series of 185 people in farm-and agriculture-related occupations who died by suicide in New Zealand from 2007 to early 2015.The findings from this analysis of coronial records of farm-related suicide deaths are outlined below.

  1. NOT all farm suicides were dairy farmers. Dairy farm suicides accounted for 30% (56/185) of all suicides. Dairy farm owners or managers accounted for 16% of ALL farm suicides.
  1. Considering ALL (185) farmsuicides, most suicide deaths were farm labourers (often young), who accounted for twice as many suicide deaths as farm owners/managers.
  1. For dairy farming, suicides were equally divided between labourers and owners/managers.
  1. Those who died in farm suicides were young:Considering ALL (185) farm suicides, 12% were aged <20 years, one third (32%) were aged <30 years, and almost half (47.5%) were <40 years.
  1. Those suicides who were employed on dairy farms were younger than all-farm suicides: 23% were <20 years, 48% were aged < 30 years, 66% were aged <40 years.
  1. Farm suicides were overwhelmingly male – 91%.The 16/185 femalesmostly worked in casual jobs.
  1. Risk and precipitating factors for farm suicides were similar to those for the general population: Relationship losses, mental and physical health problems dominated. Alcohol was often involved as a precipitating factor. Financial stresses made negligible contribution to farm suicides.
  1. Farm suicides differed from general population suicides by method of suicide: 40% of farm suicides were by firearm compared to approximately 8% of the general population.
  1. Farm suicides were NOT an homogeneous group. We identified 6 distinct risk profiles:
  • Young male teenagers, often living alone, ready access to a firearm, not seen by a GP.
  • Men in 20s/30s –major problemswere relationship issues/alcohol and drugs/access to firearms. If seen by a GP at all, tended to be regarded as ‘adjustment disorder’, and not followed up.
  • Men with mental health histories, well known to primary care (PC)and mental health services.
  • Men with severe/terminal physical health problems, well-known to PC and medical specialists.
  • Older, retired farmers, often feared serious illness, access to firearm, well-known to GP.
  • Women- many had mental health histories, often well-known to PC and mental health services.

Conclusions and implications for prevention

  • Improving on-farm firearm safety is key. Industry and community programmes are needed.
  • Suicide prevention and depression education for rural primary care, health and social service providers is key. Training should include counselling about access to lethal means.
  • Farm suicides tend to be young labourers (not farm owners). Suicide prevention programmes need to be targeted to this group, and include workplace health and safety, suicide prevention education,alcohol and drug education, resiliency and life skills building programmes, and gatekeeper training programmes for farm employers/managers, and rural communities and service providers.
  • Consideration should be given to ensuring safe rural alcohol socialisation practices.
  • Current rural suicide prevention programmes should be continued.

Further information: Contact RHANZ CE Michelle Thompson: ; m: 021 234 7413