Suicide in Croatia and in Croatian immigrant groups in Australia and Slovenia.

AIM: To compare suicide rates in Australia, Slovenia, and Croatia with suicide rates in Croatian immigrant groups in Australia and Slovenia in a 10-year period.

METHOD: We analyzed records for completed suicides of the residents of Australia in a decade between 1988 and 1997 and Croatia and Slovenia in a decade between 1985 and 1994. The Croatian Catholic Centers in Australia had 31 completed suicides reported in their Parish Registries in the decade between 1985 and 1994. In Slovenia, 141 completed suicides of Croats were reported in the same decade by the Institute of Public Health of Republic of Slovenia.

RESULTS: The suicide rate and method of suicide in the Croatian immigrant group in Slovenia (26.01/100,000/year; 60% of hanging) converged towards those of the host country (31.43/100,000/year; 76% of hanging), perhaps as a function of the years since migration from Croatia (22.53/100,000/year; 42% of hanging). Somewhat higher male-female ratio in this immigration group (3.55) could be explained by their lower social status. Surprisingly low suicide rate was calculated for the immigration group in Australia (3.10/100,000/year).

CONCLUSION: Croat immigrants to Australia have the lowest suicide rate, but the highest male-female suicide ratio, which could be a consequence of underreporting of suicides by Croatian Catholic Centers in Australia. Different suicide data sources can be a source of significant bias in cross-cultural comparison of suicide behavior.