Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T00:39:11.516Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Suicide and Social Response in Fiji: a Historical Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Ruth H. Haynes
Ruth H. Haynes*
Affiliation:
Social Worker, 29 Hicks Lane, Girton, Cambridge CB3 OJS
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

A historical review of suicide in Fiji shows that rates for people of Indian descent have always been higher than those of other groups, yet until now this phenomenon has attracted little official or public attention. Recent changes in the incidence and methods of suicide have led to the introduction of some preventive measures, but the emphasis has been on eliminating some of the methods rather than the reasons for suicide. The continuing high incidence of suicide by hanging involving some sectors of society appears to have been overlooked. Possible causes of this apparent lack of interest are examined, such as the low status historically of Indian immigrants and concepts held about them by other groups in Fiji, and the ‘invisibility’ of groups of people such as rural women and the aged.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 151 , Issue 1 , July 1987 , pp. 21 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ali, A. (1979) Girmit, the Indenture Experience in Fiji. Bulletin of the Fiji Museum. 5 Google Scholar
Andrews, C. F. (1915) Letter to Lord Hardinge. Hardinge Papers. Manuscripts, Folio 416, No. 65. Cambridge University Library.Google Scholar
Andrews, C. F. & Pearson, W. W. (1916) Indentured Labour in Fiji: an independent Enquiry. Allahad: League for Abolition of Indentured Labour. (Available at India Office Library, London).Google Scholar
Central Planning Office (1980) Eighth Development Plan, 1981–85.2. Suva: Central Planning Office.Google Scholar
Fui (1978) Inquests. In Laws of Fiji, Cap. 46, S.7 and S.21.Google Scholar
Fiji Criminal Procedure Code (1978) Laws of Fiji, Cap. 21, S.55.Google Scholar
Fiji Times (1984) Paraquat poisonings: call to stop sales and think. Fiji Times, 9 April 1984.Google Scholar
Gillion, K. L. (1962) Fiji's Indian Migrants: A History to the End of Indenture in 1920. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Haynes, R. H. (1984) Suicide in Fiji: a preliminary study. British Journal of Psychiatry., 145, 433–438.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jayawardena, C. (1980) Culture and ethnicity in Guyana and Fiji. Man (N.S.)., 15, 430–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karim, I. & Price, J. (1973) Suicide in Fiji. Fiji Medical Journal, 1, 49–53.Google Scholar
Ketth-Reid, R. (1983) Fijians step up the suicide trail, and The horror of the death wish. Islands Business, May 1983, 12–17.Google Scholar
Ketth-Reid, R. (1984) Pesticides are big business. Fiji Times, 7 April 1984.Google Scholar
Lakhan, A. (1983) Poison deaths alarm doctors. Fiji Times, 20 July 1983.Google Scholar
Naidu, V. (1980) The Violence of Indenture in Fiji. Fiji Monograph Series No. 3. Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific.Google Scholar
Oliver, D. (1983) Coming to grips with the problem of youth suicide in Western Samoa. Pacific Islands Monthly. November 1982, 15–17.Google Scholar
Ree, G. H. (1971) Suicide in Macuata Province, Fiji: a review of 73 cases. The Practitioner., 207, 669–671.Google ScholarPubMed
Ross, S., Chin, P., Dallas, R., Moses, R. & Hatcher, D. (1983) Paraquat's deadly dilemma. Newsweek Magazine Special Report, 18 July 1983, 28–29.Google Scholar
Royal Fui Police (1984) Report for the year. 1983. Parliamentary Paper No. 37.Google Scholar
Tinker, H. (1974) A New System of Slavery. The Export of Indian Labour Overseas. 1830–1920. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Vuettvavalagi, G. (1985) In the Senate. Fiji Times, 3 July 1985.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.