New Zealand has criminal laws governing what can and can't be said when it comes to suicide, or suspected suicide.

New Zealand's first official suicide data review has found construction workers and tradesmen are the most at risk among the country's most vulnerable sub-groups.

The government contracted the Health Quality & Safety Commission to trial a suicide mortality review as part of its Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

The commission formed a Suicide Mortality Review Committee and carried out the Suicide Review Feasibility Study.

TAMARA VONINSKI/SMH Among working men, the most at risk were construction workers and tradesmen (6.9 per cent), along with farmers and forestry workers (6.8 per cent).

The study analysed data from almost 1800 suicides between 2007 and 2011 and focused on the most vulnerable groups - rangatahi Māori (15–24 years), working-age men (25–64 years) and people who accessed mental health services in the year before their death.

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According to the final report - Ngā Rāhui Hau Kura - these three groups made up 71 per cent of the 2530 people who died by suicide during 2007-11.

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Construction workers and tradesmen were the most at-risk group out of employed people, making up 6.9 per cent of the deaths analysed by the committee.

Farmers and forestry workers made up 6.8 per cent of the suicides.

Automotive and engineering tradesmen (3.2 per cent), labourers (2.9 per cent), chief executives and managers (2.7 per cent), and design, engineering, science and transport professionals (2.6 per cent) were also vulnerable, the study found.

However, in 47.3 per cent of the cases analysed the person was either unemployed, on a benefit or their occupation was unknown.

'SYSTEMIC ISSUES'

The review also found almost 50 per cent of the country's most at-risk people had accessed mental health services in the 12 months before their death.

In 829 of the 1797 cases, people had accessed mental health services in the year before their death.

And almost 50 per cent of those people had contact with mental health services in the week before their death.

Researchers said further investigation was needed on this topic. In the meantime, the review committee would bring the finding to the attention of the district health boards.

123RF New Zealand's first suicide data review study has found there is need for a permanent review committee to help curb New Zealand's historically high suicide rates.

"It is important to note that findings such as this do not reflect on the performance of individuals. Rather, like most other findings from mortality review processes, they highlight potential system or policy issues."

A "significant proportion" of the three subgroups had also come to the attention of police or Corrections.

Suicide Mortality Review Committee chairman Rob Kydd said the findings about previous involvement of people who died by suicide with police, Corrections, and Child, Youth and Family provided opportunities for improved suicide prevention activities.

"It is important for us to find out more about both groups and to use that information to better understand the potential role of not only health, justice and social agencies, but importantly, our broader communities," Kydd said.

MAORI OVER-REPRESENTED



Half of the rangatahi Māori subgroup lived in the most socio-economically deprived areas of New Zealand, and the peak age band for suicide deaths among the group was 15-34.

Thirty percent of men and 40 per cent of mental health service users were unemployed at the time of their deaths. Unemployment figures were higher for Māori within these two subgroups.

CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF The review focused on data from the country's three most at-risk subgroups - young Māori, working-age men, and people who accessed mental health services in the year before their death.

The report included further findings on age, ethnicity, employment, history with government agencies and health services, education, method of suicide and incidents of significance prior to death.

Kydd said the report had confirmed the need for permanent independent mortality review committees, which would help provide information to help suicide prevention programmes.

"The study has demonstrated that mortality review for suicide is possible, and that the work to date has only scratched the surface of possible learnings and prevention opportunities."

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It had also identified a need to investigate further the role of alcohol and drugs in suicide – an area where data was lacking.

The findings from the trial would be used in the development of the Ministry of Health's new Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.

BETTER ACCESS TO SUICIDE INFORMATION NEEDED

The office of the Auditor-General has identified the need for more readily-available information on suicides in New Zealand.

The Auditor-General was carrying out a performance audit on collecting and using information about suicide. The report was due before the end of the year.

The audit focuses on the information about suicides at a high level, looking at information collected, analysed, and reported by the Chief Coroner and other coroners, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, and mortality review committees.

"We found that a lot of data on suicide is publicly available. We haven’t been able to find a place where links to all of this public information are hosted."

WHERE TO GET HELP

Lifeline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 354

Depression Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 111 757

Healthline (open 24/7) - 0800 611 116

Samaritans (open 24/7) - 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

Youthline (open 24/7) - 0800 376 633. You can also text 234 for free between 8am and midnight, or emailtalk@youthline.co.nz

0800 WHATSUP children's helpline - phone 0800 9428 787 between 1pm and 10pm on weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on weekends. Online chat is available from 7pm to 10pm every day at www.whatsup.co.nz.

Kidsline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 754. This service is for children aged 5 to 18. Those who ring between 4pm and 9pm on weekdays will speak to a Kidsline buddy. These are specially trained teenage telephone counsellors.

Your local Rural Support Trust - 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP)

Alcohol Drug Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 787 797. You can also text 8691 for free.

For further information, contact the Mental Health Foundation's free Resource and Information Service (09 623 4812).