Probable Suicide Among Men in Farming and Agricultural-Related Occupations in the Republic of Ireland: Exploring Coronial Data.

Abstract

Objectives: Globally, suicide is presented as a significant concern within agricultural communities. However, there is little information on farmer suicide in the Republic of Ireland to guide the development of suicide prevention interventions. To address this gap, the present study used coronial data to determine whether males identified as "farmers" or "agricultural workers" (combined to form a single group named "farmers") have higher suicide incidence rates than non-farmers. It also examined the characteristics that differentiate suicide among male farmers from male non-farmer suicides with the overall objective of examining whether coronial data can improve our understanding.

Methods: The Irish Probable Suicide Deaths Study (IPSDS) 2015-2018 data were used. The IPSDS cohort (n = 2,349) comprises all coroner-determined suicides and research-determined suicides (i.e. on the balance of probabilities) in the Republic of Ireland. Male farmers were compared with an age- and sex-matched control group (i.e. all other males 15-years and over in the dataset; non-farmers). Age-specific suicide incidence rates were calculated using the 2016 census population estimates. Descriptive statistics examined the relationships between farmers' and non-farmers' sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, and circumstances of death.

Results: Male farmers accounted for 8% of all male probable suicides in the Republic of Ireland between 2015-2018. While there was no significant rate difference in probable suicides among farmers (31.5 deaths per 100,000) compared to non-farmers (23.6 per 100,000; p = .09), the age-specific rate for farmers over 65-years (29.2 deaths per 100,000) was significantly different from same-age non-farmers (14.3 deaths per 100,000; p = .028). Analyses showed farmers were older, that a higher proportion of them were living with family/partner/children, and a lower proportion had a history of self-harm, drug dependency, and alcohol dependency.

Conclusion: The present findings may inform the development and implementation of supports aimed at recovery and prevention, such as augmenting access to means (e.g. firearm availability) or leveraging community-based interventions. Further research is needed to identify potential farming- and agricultural-related sub-populations at elevated risk of suicide, in addition to opportunities for intervention.