New data shows drop in Gisborne's suspected suicide rate

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne’s suspected suicide rate remains one of the highest in New Zealand although it has dropped significantly from the previous year, new data shows.

The Office of the Chief Coroner yesterday released the annual provisional suspected suicide statistics via the Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand interactive webtool, which provides a single comprehensive source of information on suspected and confirmed deaths by suicide in New Zealand.

In the financial year to June 30, 2023, 565 people died by suspected suicide and the rate was 10.6 people per 100,000.

Gisborne’s rate of 13.1 was above the national rate of 10.6 but was well down from 26.5 the previous year.

“Our thoughts are with the many people who are affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a loved one, and I offer my sincere condolences to them”, Chief Coroner, Judge Anna Tutton said.

The acting director of the Suicide Prevention Office at Manatū Hauora – Ministry of Health, Dr Sarah Hetrick, said collecting the information was an important way to understand how the nation was progressing towards an Aotearoa that did not experience suicide.

“Everything we do is motivated by this reality and we are working hard to ensure fewer whānau and friends are left grieving.”

The rate for the 22/23 year is lower than the average rate over the last 14 financial years, and lower than the rate immediately prior to Covid-19 in the 2018/19 financial year, which was 13.1 per 100,000 people.

However the decrease is not statistically significant. New Zealand remains in step with international data that shows no change or a decrease in rates of suicide over the past several years.

Māori continue to be disproportionately negatively affected. The provisional rate of suspected suicide for Māori is 15.8 per 100,000 people for the 2022/23 financial year, and this has not changed compared with the average over the past 14 years.

For Asian peoples, the rate for the 2022/23 year is 4.1 per 100,000 people and this rate is also unchanged.

There was a statistically significant reduction in the rate per 100,000 people for Pacific populations — dropping from the average of the past 14 years to 5.1 per 100,000 people.

“While we are reflective today about these latest statistics, we know that suicide prevention initiatives do work,” Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said.

“The overall trend for the past decade is slightly better, but there is much more to do.

“It’s still concerning that these figures remain stubbornly high. A great deal of good work is being done, but more needs to happen.

“The incoming Government has an opportunity to bring together government agencies and suicide prevention organisations to address the conditions that impact on mental wellbeing such as racism, discrimination and poverty.”