Risky business: a 15-year analysis of fatal coastal drowning of young male adults in Australia

Lawes, Jasmin C.; Ellis, Annabel; Daw, Shane; Strasiotto, Luke

doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043969

Cited by 35 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Toxicological analyses. The presence of alcohol and drugs was identified using data from toxicology reports (where available) and was examined using a previously established method [32]. The only difference to this previous method was that therapeutic levels of drugs used to PLOS ONE treat mental ill health were only included for this if they were used in combination with alcohol.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Suicide was ranked as the 14th leading cause of death of Australians in 2018 [28], and the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15-44 years [28,29]. Australia is an island continent with an extensive coastline deeply embedded within Australian culture [30][31][32]. Coastal environments are popular and dynamic, with natural coastal environments (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…beaches, rocks and offshore waters) common locations for unintentional Australian drowning deaths and other fatalities to occur [31][32][33]. To this end, surf lifesaving services have been established nationally around the coast to prevent drowning and other incidents [33] as well as a growing body of coastal research examining drowning prevention [31,32]. To the best of our knowledge there have been no detailed epidemiological studies that have extended coastal safety research to suicide within Australia or internationally.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Suicide along the Australian coast: Exploring the epidemiology and risk factors

et al. 2021

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Suicide is an increasing global concern with multiple risk factors, yet location-based understanding is limited. In Australia, surf lifesavers (SLS) and lifeguards patrol the coast, performing rescues and assisting injured people, including people who suicide. This study is a descriptive epidemiological analysis of Australian coastal suicide deaths. The results will be used to inform training and support surf lifesaving personnel and suicide prevention organisations. This is a population-based cross-sectional study of suicide deaths at Australian coastal locations (between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2019). Data were sourced from the National Coronial Information System and SLS Australia’s Incident Report Database. Analyses explored decedent, incident, and risk factors by sex and method. Across the study period, there were 666 coastal suicide deaths (71.0% male, 43.4% jumping from high places [X80]). Males were more likely to suicide by other means (hanging, self-poisoning, firearm discharge; n = 145, 83.8%), compared to females who were more likely to suicide by drowning ([X71]; n = 77, 37.7%). In one third (n = 225, 38.3%) toxicology was a contributing factor. The risk of coastal suicides was 10.3 times higher during the seven-days prior to their birthday (p<0.001). Evidence of mental ill health was reported in 61.4% (n = 409) of cases and evidence of suicidal behaviour was reported for 37.4% of decedents (n = 249), more prevalent in females. SLS responded in 10.7% (n = 71) of coastal suicides (most jumps from high places; n = 36, 50.7%). Coastal suicides differ to national trends suggesting that location-based differences should be considered during development of preventative and protective measures, especially at a community level. Accessibility, availability, perceived lethality and symbolic qualities are proposed to influence suicide location decisions. These results will guide support and education strategies for surf lifesaving personnel, contributes to established, ongoing suicide surveillance efforts (including hot-spot identification) and add to the limited literature exploring place-based suicide.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Suicide along the Australian coast: Exploring the epidemiology and risk factors

et al. 2021

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“…Limitations notwithstanding, several important risk factors were identified in this review as relevant for coastal drowning, some of which have also been recognized as risk factors for other bodies of water [63]. The clearest of these is being male, a group identified for being at particular drowning risk in several specific studies [64][65][66], and in other systematic drowning reviews [10,67]. Age was also highlighted as a risk factor for coastal drowning by several studies.…”

Section: Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Coastal drowning: A scoping review of burden, risk factors, and prevention strategies

et al. 2021

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Objective Coastal drowning is a global public health problem which requires evidence to support safety initiatives. The growing multidisciplinary body of coastal drowning research and associated prevention countermeasures is diverse and has not been characterised as a whole. The objective of this scoping review was to identify key concepts, findings, evidence and research gaps in the coastal drowning literature to guide future research and inform prevention activities. Methods We conducted a scoping review to identify peer reviewed studies published before May 2020 reporting either (i) fatal unintentional coastal drowning statistics from non-boating, -disaster or -occupational aetiologies; (ii) risk factors for unintentional fatal coastal drowning; or (iii) coastal drowning prevention strategies. Systematic searches were conducted in six databases, two authors independently screened studies for inclusion and one author extracted data using a standardised data charting form developed by the study team. Results Of the 146 included studies, the majority (76.7%) were from high income countries, 87 (59.6%) reported coastal drowning deaths, 61 (41.8%) reported risk factors, and 88 (60.3%) reported prevention strategies. Populations, data sources and coastal water site terminology in the studies varied widely; as did reported risk factors, which most frequently related to demographics such as gender and age. Prevention strategies were commonly based on survey data or expert opinion and primarily focused on education, lifeguards and signage. Few studies (n = 10) evaluated coastal drowning prevention strategies. Discussion Coastal drowning is an expansive, multidisciplinary field that demands cross-sector collaborative research. Gaps to be addressed in coastal safety research include the lack of research from lower resourced settings, unclear and inconsistent terminology and reporting, and the lack of evaluation for prevention strategies. Advancing coastal drowning science will result in a stronger evidence base from which to design and implement effective countermeasures that ultimately save lives and keep people safe.

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“…Most Australian coastal safety research has focused on drowning prevention and wellbeing of Australians 7,8 and international tourists 9 . However, the mental wellbeing of SLS members is largely unexplored, with currently no scientific evidence from Australia and limited research internationally 10 .…”

Section: Competing Interestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forgotten first responders: Australian surf lifesavers and lifeguards

Fien

Lawes²,

Terte

et al. 2021

Emerg Medicine Australasia

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First responders often face traumatic and emotionally‐taxing incidents in their role. Understanding their mental health and coping capacity is important for wellbeing and continued service delivery. Surf lifesavers and lifeguards are an under researched yet a vital part of the first responder workforce. The recent Senate Report on first responders explored mental health in the leading emergency services personnel in Australia and found a high incidence of mental health difficulties in those who worked or volunteered as emergency responders. However, a significant literature gap exists regarding mental health of surf lifesavers and lifeguards in both the international and Australian context. Here we propose a strategy to address this gap, at the individual, organisational and community level.

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Risky business: a 15-year analysis of fatal coastal drowning of young male adults in Australia

Cited by 35 publications

References 33 publications

Suicide along the Australian coast: Exploring the epidemiology and risk factors

Suicide along the Australian coast: Exploring the epidemiology and risk factors

Coastal drowning: A scoping review of burden, risk factors, and prevention strategies

Forgotten first responders: Australian surf lifesavers and lifeguards

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