New Zealand suicides 1984-8.
OBJECTIVE
to determine regional differences in suicide with special attention to inpatients and prisoners.


METHODS
all cases of suicide 1984-8 were identified from coroners' register and age, sex, method of suicide, date of death, place of inquest, occupation and prisoner or inpatient status were recorded.


RESULTS
between 1984 and 1988 there were 2019 suicides. Subjects were usually male and hanging was the commonest method of achieving death. Northland-Auckland had the highest regional suicide rate and the highest prison suicide rate; and Wellington-Wairarapa had the lowest regional suicide rate, the lowest prison suicide rate but the highest inpatient suicide rate of the five regions studied.


CONCLUSIONS
the high regional and prison rates of suicide in Northland-Auckland were probably because the largest city in New Zealand lies within its boundaries. The high inpatient suicide rate in Wellington-Wairarapa could not be explained by the regional rate, nor by controlling for the number of admissions. This pointed to regional differences in the delivery of psychiatric care.
Thomas
C S
CS
Department of Psychological Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine.
Read
D A
DA
Mellsop
G W
GW
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*