Social and economic factors

Multi-Agency Data Integration Project

The Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP) is a partnership among Australian Government agencies to link administrative and survey data. These studies used de-identified Australian Census of Population and Housing (2011) data linked with 7 years of Death Registrations (2011 to 2017). For more detailed information on the MADIP data asset, data linkage and analytical methods used, see Technical notes.

Data linkage combines information from multiple sources, while preserving privacy. All linked data sets used for analysis at the AIHW comply with legislative and regulatory standards, are securely stored and accessed, and meet ethical standards and community expectations. Protocols are in place to prevent privacy breaches or the unauthorised identification of individuals, and to ensure data security and restricted access to information.

The initial analysis, Education and employment as risk factors for suicide, found that the cumulative risk of suicide in Australia is higher in those with fewer years of education and is lower among those who are employed. These results have been reported previously on Suicide and self-harm monitoring.

Additional analysis, Regression risk models for selected census variables, developed statistical regression models to examine the association between 10 identified predictive social and economic factors from the 2011 Census and deaths by suicide in Australia. The difference between this approach and the previous cumulative risk analysis, is that regression allows for adjustment for the various risk factors for suicide, which may make estimates more precise.

The multivariate (multiple variables) regression model showed that the strongest associations with deaths by suicide (relative to respective reference groups, and after adjusting for other variables in the model) included:

• being male (HR = 3.12; 95% CI 2.93 to 3.32)
• being widowed, divorced or separated (HR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.79 to 2.12)
• being in a lone person household (HR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.57 to 1.87)
• being unemployed (HR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.55 to 1.99) or not in the labour force (HR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.64 to 1.99)

Results for other variables are reported on Regression risk models for selected census variables.

In further analysis, Social and economic factors associated with suicide in Australia: a focus on individual income reported here for the first time, a longitudinal approach was taken, which enabled the investigation of changes to individuals’ income and employment status across time. It also examined the absolute risk, as well as relative odds of dying by suicide.

The longitudinal multivariate regression model confirmed findings from the Regression risk models for selected census variables study and produced additional insights into associations between deaths by suicide, income and income uncertainty including:

• those with higher income uncertainty had higher odds of suicide death relative to those with lower income uncertainty. Relative to those in the lowest income uncertainty quintile, the odds of dying by suicide increased by 1.91 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.44) for those in the highest income uncertainty quintile.
• people who experienced longer periods of unemployment had higher odds of suicide death. Relative to those with no periods of unemployment, the odds of dying by suicide increase by 1.57 (95% CI 1.21-2.05) for those unemployed for 2 years; 1.75 (95%CI 1.36-2.26) for those unemployed for 3 years; 2.03 (95% CI 1.61-2.57) for those unemployed for 4 years; and 1.96 (95% CI 1.61-2.57) for those unemployed for 5 years.

Additional results are reported on Social and economic factors associated with suicide in Australia: A focus on individual income and the full report can be found at Research and reports.