A HISTORICAL SURVEY OF POLICE SUICIDE IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, 1843-1992

Police suicide research has yielded inconsistent results. An opportuni ty presented to survey Queensland police suicides in a historical cont ext and add to the existing literature; the study describes changes in police suicide over time, the associated characteristics, and opportu nities for intervention. Suicides were examined from the origins of po lice in Queensland in 1843 up to 1992. Suicide rates were higher earli er, around 60 per 100,000, declining to around 20 per 100,000 recently . The recent rate is lower than most other police studies but the same as the general community (employed). Most suicides were associated wi th psychological and physical ill health, alcohol abuse, and domestic problems, in keeping with general community surveys. However, occupati onal problems were more evident than is generally the case. The proxim ity in time of disciplinary events and suicides was striking. Future s tudies should explore the interactions between these factors.