Suicide is a Māori Public Health Issue. Suicide rates in Aotearoa/New Zealand are amongst the highest in OECD countries in the 15-24 year age group and second only to Hungary in other age groups (WHO, 1996; Disley & Coggan, 1996). Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people under the age of 25 years in Aotearoa/New Zealand and a major public health problem (Coggan, 1997). Approximatel, 540 New Zealanders kill themselves each year (Rose, Hatcher, & Koelmeyer, 1999). The total Māori suicide rate (per 100 000) increased to 17.5 in 1997, compared to non-Māori (13.1), and the Māori youth suicide rate (33.9) far exceeded the equivalent non-Māori rate (24.3), reflecting the disparity between Māori and non-Māori (Ministry of Health, 1997). This paper aims to present epidemiological data on Māori suicide and then use the existing literature to discuss possible reasons for the high Māori rate.

This study investigated client satisfaction and completion of detoxification among 185 clients admitted to Darwin Detoxification Unit from February to August 1999. The aim of the study was to identify detoxification completion versus non-completion and to obtain information that could guide the development of the Unit. The sample was predominantly male (79%), Caucasian (80%), unemployed (83%) and with low education levels (71% with Year 11 or lower). 140 clients voluntarily completed an anonymous exit questionnaire (50% alcohol admissions, 50% other drug admissions) commenting on reasons for leaving the Unit and satisfaction with staff, daily routine/activities, medication and facilities. Respondents were also asked to rate their overall satisfaction and make any other comments that would improve the service. Half of all total admissions completed detoxification with alcohol admissions more than twice as likely to complete (p <.05). Reported satisfaction levels were high for both groups across all domains but no significant associations were found between satisfaction and completion of either alcohol or other drug admissions. Most complaints for both groups related to boredom and inactivity. The study highlights the challenges in retaining other drug admissions and the need to identify additional strategies to encourage detoxification completion, as well as confirming the value of consumer feedback in guiding service development.

The purpose of the present study was to extend international comparative research on the Telic and Paratelic Dominance Scales (TDS & PDS) to include data from 560 Japanese individuals. Statistical analyses to check the factor structure, reliability and relationship between Japanese scores on the two scales were carried out. In addition, test-retest reliability was also examined. The results indicated stronger support for the factor structure of the PDS than the TDS. Coefficient alpha statistics produced weaker alpha values for the TDS than the PDS and the relationship between Japanese scale scores were significant and in the expected direction. Test-retest reliability was found to be strong for both scales. Based on the present results, future work on the development of an international scale of telic-paratelic dominance should focus on the PDS, rather than the TDS.

“Partnership” is a frequently used term in community development practice. Partnerships conjure images of citizen participation, empowerment and the possibility of enhancing grass-roots democracy. An Australian crime prevention project (Waratah Crime Prevention Project), based on the concept of partnerships was developed with senior police, educators, local government representatives, court networks, and nine community groups. A myriad of community based crime prevention initiatives were designed and developed by the community groups, and implemented across the region. Valuable lessons are reported, concerning the application of partnership theory in this community development project. Lessons learnt include the ramifications of inequitable power relations between senior partners and community groups, and the effect of critical organisational cultural differences between the partners that impeded the progress of the project. It was found that “a willingness to partner” is a necessary precondition for partnerships to succeed. Attention is drawn to the need to teach partnership skills before similar projects are commenced.

The Australian Oxford Dictionary (1992) defines materialism means an “excessive concern for material possessions” which according to critics is likely to be associated with dissatisfaction (eg, Fromm, 1955; Cushman, 1990, Harman, 1996). Despite this, materialism has often been referred to as a predominant American value (eg, Funkhouser, 1989) and also an Australian one (Hawkins, Neal, Quester & Best, 1994). The present study aims to assess the relationship between Materialism and Life Satisfaction amongst Australians.

Unlike their television counterparts, website fund-raising advertisements designed by international aid agencies do not have to be compressed into short grabs and bites. This means that website technology might be used to convey relatively abstract, situational attributions for poverty, which are known to increase charitable donations. Seventy undergraduates from Australia's Northern Territory University viewed a simulated aid agency website containing varying degrees of textual and visual information about these situational causes of poverty; completed the situational attributions-focused Causes of Third World Poverty Questionnaire (CTWPQ); and reported their intentions to donate money to the simulated aid organisation's poverty relief projects. Consistent with attribution theory, both situational attributions made about poverty and charitable donation intentions were optimised when the website contained an optimal amount of (textual and visual) information on the situational causes of poverty. These preliminary findings suggest how Internet technology can be applied to raise dollar donations, as well as increasing tolerance within diverse regions like the South Pacific.