Suicide Attempts and Suicide in Brazil: An Epidemiological Analysis

To analyze epidemiological profile attempts and suicide deaths in Brazil.

A retrospective and quantitative research was conducted. Data were obtained in September 2020 by the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System database.

The number of self-harm notifications has gradually increased in Brazil. Fourteen thousand nine hundred forty cases were reported in 2011 and 89,272 cases in 2018. Women represented the majority of suicide attempts cases. The age group between 20 and 59 years had the highest percentage of occurrences (65.6%) in 2018, with all Brazilian regions ranking the highest. Brazil recorded 108,020 deaths by suicide in the last 10 years (2009-2018; higher suicide rates in males, proportion 8:2 in relation to the females). In 2018, the proportion of deaths according to age groups was similarly distributed.

There is a significant and still increasing rate of suicide attempts and suicide in Brazil, with specificities for each Brazilian region and state. There is an emphasis on the increase in the death of indigenous people, men, Whites, single, divorced, widowed, with more years of schooling, in all age groups, death at home, and by hanging.