A 10-year ecological study of the methods of suicide used by Brazilian adolescents

Abstract

Suicide among adolescents has become a major public health problem worldwide. Our study sought to describe the most commonly used methods of suicide among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in Brazil between 2006 and 2015. Complete data were obtained from the Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS) and coded into seven categories of suicide methods. The following statistical analyzes were performed: chi-square (χ2) tests to examine the association between the frequency of each suicide method and the year; odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) compared the relative chances of each suicide method occurring between boys and girls. In total, 8,026 suicides among Brazilian adolescents were registered over the analyzed period. The most commonly used method of suicide by both sexes was hanging (2015 = 70.3%), and the most significant increase was observed in girls (2015 = 65.82%). The proportional use of arms (2006 = 14.2%; 2015 = 9.1%) and poisoning (2006 = 13.3%; 2015 = 9.2%) decreased over the period. The increase in hanging is worrisome, mostly due to difficulties to impose access barriers and to its high lethality. In such context, a comprehensive understanding of suicide behaviors among adolescents in Brazil should be drawn to inform general prevention measures and, more specifically, the reasons for the increase in hanging need to be further investigated.

The rise in mortality due to intentional self-poisoning by medicines in Brazil between 2003 and 2022: relationship with regional and global crises

“…Despite the extensive number of analyses regarding suicide rates on a global, regional and national scale, studies that explore the characteristics, rates and spatio-temporal distribution of method-specific suicide are relatively scarce ( 7 – 9 ), especially in relation to intentional self-poisoning by medicines, which can be prevented by restricting/controlling access to these substances ( 10 ). Therefore, increasing knowledge about specific methods that result in suicides due to intentional self-poisoning by medicines can contribute to the improvement of prevention strategies.…”

Trends in method-specific suicide in Brazil from 2000 to 2017

“…Hanging (combined with drowning) was the most frequent method of suicide, followed by self-poisoning and use of firearms. Furthermore, deaths from hanging increased by approximately 15% over the study period, whilst self-poisoning and firearms decreased [ 4 ]. It remains unclear whether these trends in methods of suicide are generalisable to other age groups.…”

Fatores de risco para suicídio em adolescentes

“…No Brasil, estudo evidenciou que, no período de 2006 a 2015, a taxa de suicídio em adolescente aumentou 13% (2). Outro estudo, também realizado no Brasil, identificou ocorrência de 8.026 suicídios entre adolescentes no período de 2005 e 2015, sendo o enforcamento o método de suicídio mais utilizado em ambos os sexos (3).…”