Psychological autopsy study of suicide risk factors in the Colombian Coffee Region, 2017-2019

To identify demographic, psychosocial, and life cycle risk factors for suicides in the Colombian Coffee zone between second half of 2017 and the end of 2019.

A matched case-control design. A sample of 176 individuals, of which 101 were suicides (cases) and 75 were deaths by road traffic accidents (controls); psychological autopsies were used for research purposes. Penalized maximum likelihood logistic regression analyzes were conducted, indicating odds ratio of suicide, adjusting for sex, age group, province of legal autopsy and source of data. Logistic regressions were applied in three blocks: mental health issues, psychoactive substance use, and adversities during the life course. Statistical analysis was done with Stata®.

78.2% of cases and 84.0% of controls were male. The mean age of cases was 39 years, and of controls, 43 years. The key risk factors for suicide, at p <0.05, were forced labor during adolescence (OR: 32.41), financial dependence (OR: 4.3), verbal or physical abuse from the partner (OR: 10.28), any mental disorder (OR: 26.14), previous suicide attempt (OR: 11.64; p= 0.061), and record of major depressive disorder (OR: 24.86). A protective factor was death of a close relative at some point in life (OR: 0.34; p= 0.073).

Forced labor in adolescence, verbal and physical abuse from the partner, financial dependence on others, any mental disorder, major depressive disorder, and previous suicide attempts were risk factors of suicide; the death of any close relative at some point in life was a protective factor of suicide.