Suicide: A major public health problem

Abstract

Introduction

Suicide is the deliberate act of take off life to itself. According to WHO, more than one million people commit suicide every year.

Goals

Compare data of suicide attempts between 1996 and 2014 in the University Hospital of Valladolid. Influence of the economic crisis on suicide data. Expose the risk factors. Provide prevention strategies.

Material and methods

We have performed a study of epidemiological surveillance collecting descriptive data of suicide attempts; using the same methodology as in 1996. The variables studied were: sex, age, day, month, residence, method, personal status, education, employment status, religious believes, family history of suicide, psychiatric history and family and personal psychiatric history.

Results

Increase in the rate of suicide attempts 27%. Distribution by sex is similar, but in 2014, a higher proportion was observed in males. The percentage of women is significantly higher than that of men in the group of teenagers (10–19 years old) (20% women vs. 4.5% of men; P = 0.005); 83.5% have a psychiatric diagnosis (54.2% of them have a depressive disorder). Unemployment and economic problems stand out as environmental stressors in 2014. The main suicide method used in Valladolid is the hanging, and the second method used is the precipitation.

Conclusions

The primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies are very important. Suicide is the major cause of mortality in the young age group (15–24 years old). Mortality in the general population has been on a downward trend; but suicide rates per 100,000 population has remained stable over the last decade.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.