An Analysis of 12,247 Severe Suicide Attempts Between 2010 and 2023 by Trauma-Inducing Mechanisms: Increasing...

Background/Objectives: Suicide attempts represent a major global health problem. Traumatic suicide methods, such as falls from great heights, stab wounds, and gunshot wounds, frequently result in severe or fatal injuries. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as broader societal stressors including economic uncertainty and geopolitical conflicts, has substantially increased psychological stress in the population and has been discussed as a potential influencing factor for suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to analyze severe traumatic suicide attempts and to evaluate the potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in a multicenter analysis of the TraumaRegister (TR) DGU^®. Methods: This retrospective multicenter analysis is based on the TraumaRegister DGU^®, a standardized database for seriously injured patients. Patients from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland from 2010 to 2023 with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 9, an age ≥ 10 years, and a documented suicide attempt, who arrived at the hospital alive, were included. Results: Among severely injured trauma patients recorded in the registry, 12,247 (4.4%) cases were classified as suspected traumatic suicide attempts. Severe traumatic suicide attempts showed a clear age-dependent distribution, with a marked increase from adolescence and a plateau between 20 and 55 years of age. Both the mean age of the general population and the age of patients with suicide attempts increased over the study period. This trend was reflected in the rise in the ≥70-year age group from 13.6% in 2010 to 19.6% in 2023. The most common method was jumping from a height greater than 3 m (65.3%), followed by stab wounds (11.9%) and gunshot wounds (8.0%). While a significant decline in severe traumatic suicide attempts was observed between 2010 and 2019, a significant increase to 4.5% occurred in 2020, remaining at a comparable level in the following years. Sex-specific differences were observed, with penetrating injuries occurring more frequently in men, whereas jumps from heights > 3 m were more common among women. The highest hospital mortality was observed in gunshot injuries (67.9%). Conclusions: This study demonstrates an increase in severe traumatic suicide attempts in 2020 that persisted at a similar level until 2023. Sex-specific differences in suicide methods highlight the need for targeted prevention strategies. In addition, demographic aging is reflected in the increasing proportion of suicide attempts among older individuals, emphasizing the need for age-specific prevention measures. The relatively high survival rate after certain methods, particularly after falls from height (77%), underlines the importance of structured postoperative psychiatric care pathways. These findings specifically reflect traumatic suicide attempts resulting in severe injury and requiring trauma center treatment.