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. 2018 Jul 6;18(1):846.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5750-9.

Online assessment of suicide stigma, literacy and effect in Australia's rural farming community

Affiliations

Online assessment of suicide stigma, literacy and effect in Australia's rural farming community

Alison J Kennedy et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: In Australia, farming populations have been identified as having higher rates of suicide, in comparison to metropolitan, rural and regional communities. The reasons for this are unclear although stigma is considered a risk factor. This study was designed to understand the role of suicide stigma and suicide literacy and the relationship between these.

Methods: A mixed-methods online intervention was developed. This paper reports on baseline quantitative data (suicide stigma, suicide literacy and suicide effect) collected from male and female rural Australian participants (N = 536) with an experience of suicide.

Results: When compared with previous Australian community samples, our sample demonstrated higher levels of stigma and higher levels of suicide literacy. Males were more likely to have considered suicide than females. Females were more likely than males to report a devastating and ongoing effect of suicide bereavement, but less likely than a previous Australian community sample.

Conclusion: Results of this study reiterate the need for improved understanding of the risk factors and experience of suicide within the context of life and work in rural Australian farming communities and how 'best practice' can be adapted to improve stigma reduction and suicide prevention efforts.

Trial registration: This research project was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ( ACTRN12616000289415 ) on 7th March, 2016.

Keywords: Australia; Digital intervention; Farmer health; Mixed method research; Rural health; Suicide effect; Suicide literacy; Suicide stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All participants were provided with an online plain language statement prior to registering to participate in the Ripple Effect online intervention. Completion of a Consent Form was required before being able to register to participate in the Ripple Effect intervention. Participants provided informed consent by checking an online tick box.

It was emphasised that the website was not designed for crisis response and information on seeking crisis support was provided on every page of the site.

The Ripple Effect has been approved by the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee (DUHREC) (2015–136).

Consent for publication

No applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Postcode location of Ripple Effect participants from July 2016–May 2017
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Farming type among participants currently farming (n = 276) Note: totals exceed n = 276 as participants involved in mixed farming enterprises may have nominated more than one farming type

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