Violence 'still a problem' here
By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Education Writer
Hawai'i is generally less violent than the United States as a whole, but it is still very important to prevent and track violence here, including suicide, according to a study commissioned by the state Department of Health and a nonprofit group.
• Previous suicide attempt(s) v History of mental disorders, particularly depression • History of alcohol and substance abuse • Family history of suicide • Family history of child maltreatment • Feelings of hopelessness • Impulsive or aggressive tendencies • Barriers to accessing mental health treatment • Loss (relational, social, work or financial) • Physical illness • Easy access to lethal methods • Unwillingness to seek help because of the stigma attached to mental-health and substance-abuse disorders or suicidal thoughts • Cultural and religious beliefs — for instance, the belief that suicide is a noble resolution of a personal dilemma • Local epidemics of suicide • Isolation, a feeling of being cut off from other people Source: Hawai'i Department of Health
Homicides are much more rare in Hawai'i than in the rest of the nation, but Hawai'i's suicide rate has been comparable with or slightly higher than the national average in recent years, according to "Ending Violence: A 2004 Status Report on Violence Prevention in Hawai'i."
Suicide Risk Factors
Hawai'i is generally a peaceful, healthy place to live, but it's clear that the state is not immune from violence, said Dr. Linda Rosen, deputy state health director.
"All you have to do is look at the evening news to know there's still a problem," she said. "We certainly can't say we don't have a problem."
Hawai'i's homicide rate was about half as high as the rest of the nation during the decade that ended in 2001, the most recent period for which comprehensive data are available, according to the report. For example, there were 2.4 homicides per 100,000 Hawai'i residents in 2001, compared with 7.3 per 100,000 in the nation.
"Although our rates aren't as high as in other parts of the nation, they're higher than they need to be because we know from other countries that they can be lower," said Debbie Goebert of Prevent Violence Hawai'i, a nonprofit group that helped sponsor the study. "The United States has more violence than other industrialized countries. We can do better."
Hawai'i's suicide rate was lower than the nation's for most of the decade scrutinized, but it was nearly equal to or slightly higher than the national rate during the three years that ended in 2001, the report says.
There were 10.9 suicides in Hawai'i per 100,000 residents in 2001, compared with 11 per 100,000 in the rest of the nation.
"When people think of violence, their images usually involve two people, but self-directed violence like suicide is a major public health concern and silent epidemic," said Dan Yahata, health director for Kamehameha Schools and chairman of Hawai'i's suicide prevention steering committee. "This report highlights the need for Hawai'i to focus attention and resources on suicide prevention."
Goebert said suicides and attempted suicides by young people are an especially serious concern. A 2001 random-sample survey of Hawai'i high school students found that 13.4 percent said they had attempted suicide, compared with 8.8 percent in the nation as a whole, according to the report.
The self-reporting survey did not ask students to specify the nature of their attempt, or whether it was serious enough to require medical attention. But Goebert said she believes the reporting is credible.
"I think probably underreporting is more the case than overreporting," she said. "It's not a bragging right that you've done that (attempted suicide), thank goodness."
The report was produced by the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Hawai'i, and included data collected by the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reach Johnny Brannon at 525-8084 or jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com.
