N.Z. Female Suicides Increased Last Year

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30901, 6 November 1965, Page 22

N.Z. Female Suicides Increased Last Year

“The Press” Special Service

WELLINGTON, Nov. 5.

A rise in the number of women taking barbiturates as a means of self-destruction has largely brought about the increase in female suicides, says the Medical Statistician, Mr R. J. Rose, in a review of deaths in New Zealand last year.

Whereas the New Zealand suicide rate had been very steady since the end of World War II in both sexes, the last two years had produced ap-

precdably higher figures for suicides among women, Mr Rose says. The figures for men had fallen slightly.

“In 1964 there were 127 successful male suicides against 80 female suicides. The number of males using barbiturates as a means of self-destruction had also risen, but this was apparently only a Shift in preference. It had been compensated for by a drop in the numbers of males using other methods.

Firearms were the first choice of men last year, with 45 deaths, but only five women chose this method. The year was also a bad one for homicides (mostly assaults) with a record total of 33 deaths, Mr Rose says. In this total, 12 of the victims were children under the age of five years killed by physical assault.