Objective: To explore the rates and characteristics of self-harm across the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Method: Retrospective, cross-sectional audit. We obtained and descriptively analysed routinely collected self-harm data from the Kimberley District of the Western Australia Police Force (2014–2018) and the Emergency Department Data Collection (June 2017–December 2018). Variables included age, sex, Indigenous status, time of incident, and alcohol and drug use. Results: The rate of emergency department attendance for self-harm was three times higher in the Kimberley than the rest of Western Australia. Both emergency department and police data showed a disproportionately high percentage of incidents involving Aboriginal people, with highest rates in the 15–19 and 20–24 year age groups. Almost 80% of self-harm events recorded by police involving individuals aged 25–50 years involved alcohol. Many self-harm incidents occurred in the evening and at night. Conclusions: The rates of self-harm across the Kimberley region from 2014–2018 are unacceptably high. Increased funding and alignment of services to meet regional need are required as part of a holistic effort to reduce regional rates of self-harm.

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The current study explores the associations between a number of psychosocial factors and suicide attempts among a sample of adolescent suicidal ideators. From a sample of 2,655 families randomly selected across Australia, several putative risk factors were compared between adolescents aged 12-17 years who had thought about suicide, (N = 122; Female = 70.5%, Average Age = 15.0) and those who attempted suicide (N = 54; Female = 61.1%, Average Age = 15.6).Family dysfunction (i.e., low support and acceptance), conduct problems, substance use and a parent diagnosis of depression were all associated with an increased risk of acting on suicidal thoughts, while other often reported risk factors, such as hopelessness, youth depression and impulsivity were not. Risk assessments and interventions for suicide may benefit from taking into account interpersonal and behavioural difficulties an adolescent may have. Future research is needed to further understand what drives the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicide attempts.

Objective: Loneliness is a well-established risk factor for suicide in young adults, but the mechanisms involved are still unclear. Drawing on the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, the Evolutionary Model of Loneliness, and Prospect Theory, we examined if high and low levels of loneliness are associated with different patterns of response to losses or gains of belongingness.Methods: A sample of 188 students completed the UCLA-Loneliness scale (version 3) and measures of suicide risk. Participants in the top and bottom tertiles of loneliness scores completed a computerized task designed to induce changes (gains, losses) or consistency in risk factors for suicide (belongingness, burdensomeness) over time, and examined the effect on desire to quit the task. Results:The results showed that the high loneliness group exhibited a larger magnitude of effect on desire to quit from gaining belongingness than for losing belongingness. In contrast, the low loneliness group showed a larger change in desire to quit from losing belongingness than gaining belongingness. Conclusion:The findings provide preliminary experimental support for distinct profiles of suicide risk based on prevailing levels of loneliness. The findings are discussed in relation to a need for increased precision in theoretical models of suicide and loneliness.

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