Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34734201›Full record

ReviewThe Lancet regional health. Western Pacific2021

Suicide and suicide attempts in the Pacific Islands: A Systematic Literature Review.

Sharna Mathieu, Diego de Leo, Yu Wen Koo, Stuart Leske, Benjamin Goodfellow, Kairi Kõlves

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: International Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation and Attempt in Youth.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Mirrors for Pacific Islander Children: Teaching Resilience Through Culturally Adapted Bibliotherapy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Trial
  3. Suicide by suffocation among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Veterans in the USA (2012-2018).Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention · 2026
    Article
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  13. Children and youth services review · 2024
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sharna MathieuAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Diego de LeoAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Yu Wen KooAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Stuart LeskeAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Benjamin GoodfellowAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Kairi KõlvesAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Pacific Islands have some of the highest rates of suicide in the Western Pacific region. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on suicidal behaviour in the Pacific Islands.

methodsA comprehensive search of Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, CINAHL and Embase databases was conducted for all articles published until 1

findingsA total of 36 papers were included for review. Of the Pacific Islands, Kiribati has the highest age-standardised rate of suicide mortality. Key risk groups across the Islands included youth, people of Indian ethnicity in Fiji (a prominent ethnic group in Fiji), and Indigenous peoples across other Islands. Prominent methods were self-poisoning and hanging. A distinct lack of intervention studies was found.

interpretationOverall, the Pacific Islands appear to have relatively high rates of suicide and suicide attempts compared to other countries in the region. This was particularly striking among youth. This review provides important directions for future suicide prevention activities, including means restriction, sensitive media/community coverage, enhanced surveillance, and the development and evaluation of interventions tailored to the needs of young people and other cultural groups.

fundingNone.

Indexed as

Pacific Islandssuicidesuicide attemptssuicide preventionsystematic literature review

Identifiers

PMID34734201
PMCPMC8495100

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.