Suicide attempts in Brazil, 1998-2014: an ecological study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Attempted suicide is a significant global public health issue and a primary predictor of completed suicides.
• Hospital information systems in Brazil capture over 70% of suicide attempt occurrences, enabling problem assessment.
• This study analyzes hospitalizations due to suicide attempts within Brazil's public health system (SUS) from 1998 to 2014.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in hospitalizations resulting from suicide attempts in Brazil.
• To identify demographic groups and methods associated with suicide attempts.
• To inform the development of mental health prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Ecological study utilizing secondary morbidity data from the Hospital Information System.
• Calculation of overall and stratified rates of suicide attempts per 100,000 individuals by age and sex.
• Analysis of trends using simple linear regression and calculation of hospital mortality rates.

Main Results:

• Overall hospitalization rates for attempted suicide declined between 1998 and 2014.
• Young and adult age groups exhibited the highest hospitalization rates; men had higher admission rates, while the elderly faced higher mortality.
• Poisoning was the predominant method (70.4%), with non-medical drug poisoning more common in men and medical drug poisoning in women.

Conclusions:

• Despite declining rates, attempted suicide remains a critical public health concern in Brazil.
• Identifying vulnerable populations is crucial for developing effective suicide prevention strategies.
• Further research into risk factors can guide mental health interventions.