title: Suicidal behaviour in Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous males in urban and regional Australia: Prevalence data suggest disparities increase across age groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compare the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males in urban and regional Australia, and examine the extent to which any disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males varies across age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the baseline wave of The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men), a large-scale cohort study of Australian males aged 10-55 years residing in urban and regional areas. Indigenous identification was determined through participants self-reporting as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or both. The survey collected data on suicidal thoughts in the preceding 2 weeks and lifetime suicide attempts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 432 participants (2.7%) identified as Indigenous and 15,425 as non-Indigenous (97.3%). Indigenous males were twice as likely as non-Indigenous males to report recent suicidal thoughts (17.6% vs 9.4%; odds ratio = 2.1, p < 0.001) and more than three times as likely to report a suicide attempt in their lifetime (17.0% vs 5.1%; odds ratio = 3.6; p < 0.001). The prevalence of recent suicidal thoughts did not differ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males in younger age groups, but a significant gap emerged among men aged 30-39 years and was largest among men aged 40-55 years. Similarly, the prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts did not differ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous males in the 14- to 17-years age group, but a disparity emerged in the 18- to 24-years age group and was even larger among males aged 25 years and older.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our paper presents unique data on suicidal thoughts and attempts among a broad age range of Indigenous and non-Indigenous males. The disparity in the prevalence of suicidal thoughts increased across age groups, which is in contrast to the large disparity between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous suicide rates in younger age groups.
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirkis
authors.affiliation: 2 Indigenous Health Equity Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arabena
authors.affiliation: 3 Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Currier
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Spittal
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Jorm
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
keywords: Australia; Indigenous; prevalence; suicidal ideation; suicide attempt