Suicides in Rakiraki
- Author:
Nisha Nafia
;
Timaima.B.Tuiketei
;
Viema.K.Biaukula
;
Avelina Rokoduru
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
suicide, attempted suicide, epidemic, pandemic
- From:Fiji Journal of Public Health
2012;1(2):33-38
- CountryFiji
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Suicide is an important public health issue in
Fiji and described as a “chronic epidemic”, only
recently surpassed by automobile fatalities as the
leading cause of death in young people. A total of
1749 people had attempted or completed suicides
with an average of 194 per year between 2002 and
2010 as per police records.5 Fiji has maintained
one of the highest suicide rates in the world in
young Fijian women of Indian descent along the
sugar belt areas of Fiji, at one point being cited
as the second highest in the world behind rural
China8.
Ths is a quantitative descriptive retrospective
study on all cases of suicide and attempted
suicide seen at the Ra Sub divisional Hospital
(RSH) from January 2008 to August 2012.
Data sources were obtained from the Rakiraki sub divisional hospital mortuary record book,
hospital inpatient records and Rakiraki Police
Departments’ records of all cases of deliberate
self harm were also collected in the study period.
Th overall prevalence of suicides and attempted
suicides in Rakiraki of 0.12%. Ths is relatively a
higher prevalence when compared to the national
statistics. Thre is a higher predominance of
suicides and attempted suicides in the IndoFijians, the youths, and in males as compared
to females. Hanging and chemical ingestion
were the commonest methods of suicide and
attempted suicide in Rakiraki and these should
be the main targets for prevention activities.
Indo- Fijian females were reported mainly to
have attempted suicides whilst Indo-Fijian males
predominantly committed suicides in Rakiraki.
