Table 2.
Rates of self-harm or suicidal ideation presentation in NSW before and since COVID first wave: subgroup analysis.
| Annual rate (per 10,000 per year) | Average annual change (percent per year) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2021 | Pre-COVID | Since COVID | p value | |
| Measure | |||||
| Self-harm | 69.98 | 72.77 | 4.6% (3.7%, 5.6%) | 14.0% (9.1%, 19.0%) | 0.0010** |
| Suicidal ideation | 68.77 | 86.85 | 12.4% (10.6%, 14.3%) | 21.1% (13.6%, 29.0%) | 0.0566 |
| Triage | |||||
| Resuscitation | 1.76 | 2.08 | 15.6% (10.8%, 20.5%) | −9.0% (−27.3%, 13.9%) | 0.0672 |
| Emergency | 32.25 | 40.61 | 10.7% (9.6%, 11.8%) | 23.3% (16.8%, 30.1%) | 0.0003*** |
| Urgent | 78.42 | 86.09 | 8.0% (6.1%, 9.9%) | 14.1% (7.1%, 21.6%) | 0.1700 |
| Semi-urgent | 25.13 | 29.40 | 6.5% (5.0%, 8.1%) | 24.0% (12.8%, 36.4%) | 0.0028** |
| Non-urgent | 1.07 | 1.11 | −3.5% (−7.2%, 0.4%) | 51.4% (24.8%, 83.7%) | 0.0001*** |
| Aboriginal status | |||||
| Aboriginal | 366.57 | 522.96 | 18.1% (16.5%, 19.8%) | 18.6% (10.9%, 26.8%) | 0.9251 |
| Not Aboriginal | 126.28 | 143.17 | 8.6% (6.8%, 10.5%) | 15.3% (7.6%, 23.6%) | 0.1645 |
| Rurality (ARIA) | |||||
| Major city | 116.54 | 135.09 | 8.4% (7.3%, 9.4%) | 18.3% (10.6%, 26.6%) | 0.0185* |
| Inner regional | 166.27 | 192.65 | 9.6% (8.5%, 10.7%) | 16.0% (10.6%, 21.8%) | 0.0508 |
| Outer regional | 216.44 | 236.86 | 6.4% (3.5%, 9.3%) | 19.2% (10.9%, 28.1%) | 0.0177* |
| Remote | 160.11 | 239.60 | 13.3% (9.0%, 17.8%) | 61.0% (36.5%, 89.8%) | 0.0004*** |
| Disadvantage (IRSD) | |||||
| Most disadvantaged | 125.33 | 136.76 | 6.4% (4.4%, 8.4%) | 18.4% (8.1%, 29.7%) | 0.0469* |
| Second most disadvantaged | 171.25 | 189.49 | 8.4% (6.6%, 10.4%) | 9.7% (2.0%, 18.0%) | 0.7836 |
| Middle | 178.15 | 217.29 | 10.0% (9.5%, 10.6%) | 21.4% (17.5%, 25.5%) | <0.0001*** |
| Second least disadvantaged | 111.21 | 126.57 | 7.4% (6.3%, 8.5%) | 20.2% (15.1%, 25.5%) | <0.0001*** |
| Least disadvantaged | 102.28 | 125.47 | 10.1% (8.5%, 11.6%) | 25.3% (16.7%, 34.6%) | 0.0013** |
IRSD: Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage; ARIA: rurality index; NSW: New South Wales.
Subgroup analysis, self-harm or suicidal ideation presentations to NSW emergency departments in people aged 10–24 years, January 2015 to June 2021. Presentation rate (per 10,000 population per year) and annualised rate of change before COVID (pre-March 2020) and since COVID (March 2020 to June 2021). Rurality and disadvantage measures (IRSD) based on person’s area of residence.
*
p < 0.05, **p < 0.005, ***p < 0.0005.