Risk and Protective Factors for Suicidal Behaviors Among Pacific Youth in New Zealand.
BACKGROUND
New Zealand has the second highest youth suicide rate in the OECD and particularly among Pacific New Zealanders, who have a threefold higher risk of suicide attempt compared with the general population.


OBJECTIVE
Protective and risk factors for suicide attempts among New Zealand Pacific adolescents were assessed using data from Youth'12, an adolescent health and well-being survey.


METHODS
This randomly selected nationally representative sample of New Zealand secondary school students included 1,445 Pacific high school students aged 12-17 years.


RESULTS
One in 10 (11.6%) Pacific adolescents reported attempting suicide. Risk factors for suicide included: being female, household food insecurity, low levels of family connections and family monitoring, life dissatisfaction, having a religious affiliation, and previous suicide by a family member or friend. Of those who had made a suicide attempt, 71% also experienced both suicide ideation and self-harm.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that given the high rates of suicide ideation and attempts among Pacific young people, targeted trials for new ways of support should be prioritized for this high-risk group. The Pacific family environment, which continues to be the critical space for intervening, and the school environment, as a provider of health services, were both protective of suicide attempt.
1 Pacific Development Office, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Tasileta
T
Teevale
2 Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Arier Chi-Lun
AC
Lee
3 Pacific Health, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Jemaima
J
Tiatia-Seath
4 School of Nursing, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Terryann Coralie
TC
Clark
5 Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Simon
S
Denny
6 Learning, Development and Professional Practice, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Pat
P
Bullen
7 Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Terry
T
Fleming
2 Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Roshini Janet
RJ
Peiris-John
D000293:Adolescent; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D065840:Protective Factors; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
Pacific; protective factors; risk factors; suicide; youth/adolescents