The incidence of hospital-treated attempted suicide in Oviedo, Spain

The incidence of hospital-treated attempted suicide has not been well established in Spain.

To determine the incidence of suicide attempters presenting to a hospital in Oviedo, Spain, to describe the nature of the suicidal behavior, and to identify sociodemographic subgroups of the population with high rates.

All admitted to the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, during the period 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2009 were examined and those meeting the internationally-recognized case definition were identified.

A total of 308 suicide attempt presentations (39% male, 61% female) were made by 279 individuals. Almost 90% of the suicide attempts involved a drug overdose. The age-adjusted total, male, and female attempted suicide rates were 83, 66, and 99 per 100,000, respectively. The highest rate was among 35-44-year-olds for men and women (141.1 and 191.8 per 100,000, respectively). Incidence rates varied widely by sociodemographic characteristics with especially high rates among separated/divorced men (2.4%) and women (1.1%).

The reported incidence of hospital-treated attempted suicide is below average in the European context but higher than that reported by previous Spanish studies. Persons separated or divorced constitute a high-risk group.