[Characterisation of Suicide in Colombia, 2000 2010]

Suicide is a serious public health problem worldwide, affecting all population groups, regardless of age, gender, or area of residence. The aim of this investigation was to characterise the recorded suicides in Colombia, between the years 2000 and 2010, according to the variables of the person, time and place.

Descriptive quantitative study with information from secondary sources, from the death certificates of deceased people by suicide registered with the National Bureau of Statistics. The behaviour of the deaths and mortality, were determined using the denominator population projections of Colombia and the Amazon, Andean, Atlantic Coast, Eastern Plains and Pacific regions. Descriptive measurements and mortality rates were calculated using these.

A total of 24,882 suicides were recorded in the eleven years studied, with a mean of 6.2 people per day, which increased to 8.0 during holidays The mean age of death was 34.5 years (men 36.4, women 27.7), with male deaths (78.1%) and urban areas (66%) predominating. The greatest risk of dying from this cause was recorded in the Eastern Plains, in young adults and seniors, and residents in rural areas.

Suicide rates in Colombia show a downward trend, with a mean of 5.3/100,000 inhabitants, and with an increased risk in men (3.7 times the risk in women, in young adults (9/100,000). A higher death rate was recorded in single people in the months of December and January, and at weekends.