title: Policy-appropriate measurement of suicide: headcount vs. potential years of life lost, Australia, 1907-2005.
abstract: We reconsider conventional suicide measurement. First, a headcount of suicide is examined relative to some other causes of death (circulatory diseases, cancer, and motor vehicle accidents). We then construct a time-series data set of an alternative measure of suicide, the potential years of life lost (PYLL) for males and females. Suicide PYLLs average 4.57% of all male PYLLs and 2.44% of female PYLLs for 1907-2005. The comparable "count" percentages are 1.85 and 0.65, respectively. These differences are widening through time. In 2005, suicide represented 3.25% of all male deaths and 0.90% of female deaths using the count measure and, using PYLLs, 11.0% and 4.96%, respectively. The two measures produce quite different indications of suicide.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park-Centre for Mental Health, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Doessel
authors.forename: Ruth F G
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whiteford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D000092864:Suicide Prevention