Policy-Appropriate Measurement of Suicide: Headcount vs. Potential Years of Life Lost, Australia, 1907–2005

Abstract

We reconsider conventional suicide measurement. First, a headcount of suicide is examined relative to some other causes of death (circulatory diseases, cancer, and motor vehicle accidents). We then construct a time-series data set of an alternative measure of suicide, the potential years of life lost (PYLL) for males and females. Suicide PYLLs average 4.57% of all male PYLLs and 2.44% of female PYLLs for 1907–2005. The comparable “count” percentages are 1.85 and 0.65, respectively. These differences are widening through time. In 2005, suicide represented 3.25% of all male deaths and 0.90% of female deaths using the count measure and, using PYLLs, 11.0% and 4.96%, respectively. The two measures produce quite different indications of suicide.

Keywords:

• Australia
• potential years of life lost
• PYLL
• suicide
• suicide prevention strategies

The research reported in this study was supported by Queensland Health, and the School of Economics and Finance at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. We also acknowledge the assistance of Roman Scheurer in the preparation of this paper. This paper has benefited from the helpful comments arising from the (voluntary) work of two anonymous reviewers. They provided useful contributions to the final version of this article. Needless to say, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed here.

Notes

Note: The years in parentheses for both the minimum and the maximum shares indicate the time at which that minimum/maximum occurred.

Source: Calculated from AIHW (2007).