Unacceptably high: an audit of Kimberley self-harm data 2014-2018

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.