Profiles of clinical service use for suicide ideation and suicide attempts across Australian cultural and linguistic groups: a latent class analysis using data from the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-2022).

PURPOSE: Suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STB) are common in Australia, yet many individuals do not seek clinical care. Evidence on STB and help-seeking among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations is limited. This study examined the prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts by region of birth, and patterns of formal and informal help-seeking. METHODS: This study used data from the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-2022; N = 15,893). Prevalence of lifetime suicide ideation and attempts was estimated by region of birth. Latent class analysis identified patterns of help-seeking, and regression models examined associations between cultural factors and class membership. RESULTS: Overall, 16.4% of participants reported lifetime suicide ideation and 4.7% reported a suicide attempt. Prevalence was highest among Australian-born individuals and lowest among those born in South Asia. Most individuals reported low or no use of clinical services following suicide ideation (76.1%) or attempts (60.3%). Compared to Australian-born individuals, those born in East Asia and the Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa were less likely to engage in clinical help-seeking following suicide ideation. Individuals with moderate English proficiency were less likely to seek clinical care following a suicide attempt. CONCLUSION: Most individuals with STB did not engage with clinical services, with lower use observed in some CALD groups. These findings highlight differences in help-seeking patterns across cultural and linguistic groups and suggest the importance of considering cultural and language-related factors in service engagement.