Download all data pages
PDF 5.1Mb
Data

Intentional self-harm hospitalisations of First Nations people

The AIHW uses ‘First Nations people’ to refer to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in this report. 

Hospitalisations data for patients with intentional self-harm injuries includes those with and without suicidal intent. For further information see the Technical notes.

The quality of the hospital data provided for First Nations status varies between states and territories. For further information, see the data quality statement and the Technical notes.

Intentional self-harm hospitalisations, by age, sex and Indigenous status, Australia, 2008–09 to 2020–22.

The line graph shows age-specific rates of hospitalisations for intentional self-harm by age, sex and persons for Indigenous Australians. Users can choose to view age-specific rate, numbers and proportion of hospitalisations for intentional self-harm by sex and Indigenous status for each age group. 

Hospitalisations for intentional self-harm among First Nations people

In 2021–22, the rate of intentional self-harm hospitalisations for First Nations people (326 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) was over 3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians (96 per 100,000 population).

During 2021–22:

  • the highest rate of hospitalised intentional self-harm among First Nations people was in the 15–19 age group (710 hospitalisations per 100,000 population). The highest rate of hospitalised intentional self-harm among non-Indigenous Australians was also recorded in the 15–19 age group (366 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), though it was almost half that of First Nations Australians aged 15–19.
  • First Nations females aged 15–19 years recorded the highest rate of intentional self-harm hospitalisations (1,127 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), followed by those aged 20–24 years (756 hospitalisations per 100,000 population).
  • the highest rate of hospitalised intentional self-harm among First Nations males was in the 30-34 year old age group (486 hospitalisations per 100,000 population), followed by those aged 40–44 years (467 per 100,000 population) and 20-24 years (449 per 100,000 population).

 

How have rates of intentional self-harm hospitalisations changed for First Nations people?

From 2008–09 to 2021–22:

  • the overall rate of hospitalised intentional self-harm for First Nations people rose steadily (from 203 to 326 hospitalisations per 100,000 population)
  • the rate of intentional self-harm hospitalisations for non-Indigenous Australians slightly increased from 114 hospitalisations per 100,00 population in 2008-09 to 127 hospitalisations per 100,00 population in 2016-17, before falling to 96 in 2021-22.

Over a similar period (2008-2021), the rate of death by suicide among First Nations people also increased (see, Suicide & Indigenous Australians).

Rates of hospitalisation for intentional self-harm increased from 2008–09 to 2021–22 for both First Nations females and First Nations males.

From 2008–09 to 2021–22:

  • rates of hospitalised intentional self-harm among First Nations females increased from 235 to 415 hospitalisations per 100,000 population
  • rates for First Nations males increased from 170 to 236 hospitalisations per 100,000 population
  • the largest increase in rates of hospitalised intentional self-harm was among First Nations females aged 15–19 years. For this group, the rate of hospitalisations more than doubled, from 455 to 1,127 hospitalisations per 100,000 population
  • rates of hospitalised intentional self-harm also increased more than 1.6 times among non-Indigenous females aged 15–19 years old, from 365 to 602 hospitalisations per 100,000 population
  • rates of hospitalised intentional self-harm increased markedly among First Nations females aged 20–24 years (425 to 756 hospitalisations per 100,000 population) and First Nations females aged 25-29 years (381 to 593 hospitalisations per 100,000 population).  
Previous page Next page