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Mortality by suicide in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil (1996-2015)

Mortalidad por suicídio en el Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil (1996-2015)

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To describe the epidemiological characteristics of suicide mortality in the state of Pernambuco, from 1996 to 2015.

Method:

Study with data from the Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade. The simple linear regression model was used to verify the trend in the period analyzed.

Results:

There were 6,229 suicides, of which 3,390 (54.4%) occurred in the second decade of study. The mortality rate was 4.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. The temporal trend presented a decrease of 23.5% (p=0.031). For the male sex and the age range between 20 and 39 years, there was a decline in self-inflicted death of 23.8% (p=0.018) and 26.1% (p=0.046), respectively.

Conclusion:

The temporal analysis revealed a reduction in suicide mortality coefficients. This observation may contribute to better targeting of health interventions, optimizing resources and efforts, especially in suicide prevention.

Descriptors:
Suicide; External Causes; Mortality; Vital Statistics; Trends

RESUMEN

Objetivo:

Describir las características epidemiológicas de la mortalidad por suicidio en el estado de Pernambuco, en el período de 1996 a 2015.

Metodo:

Estudio con los datos del Sistema de Informaciones sobre Mortalidad. Se utilizóel modelo de regresión lineal simple para verificar la tendencia en el período de estudio.

Resultados:

Se registraron 6.229 suicidios, de los cuales 3.390 (el 54,4%) ocurrieron en la segunda década de estudio. El coeficiente de mortalidad fue de 4,7 por 100.000 habitantes. La tendencia temporal presentó una disminución del 23,5% (p=0,031). E nel sexo masculino y el grupo de edad de 20 a 39 años se observó un descenso en la muerte autoprovocada del 23,8% (p=0,018) y el 26,1% (p=0,046), respectivamente.

Conclusion:

El análisis temporal reveló una reducción de los coeficientes de mortalidad por suicidio. Esta observación puede contribuir a mejores formas de intervenciones en salud, optimizando los recursos y esfuerzos, sobre todo en la prevención del suicidio.

Descriptores:
Suicidio; Causas Externas; Mortalidad; Estadísticas Vitales; Tendencias

RESUMO

Objetivo:

Descrever as características epidemiológicas da mortalidade por suicídio no estado de Pernambuco, no período de 1996 a 2015.

Método:

Estudo com dados do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade. Utilizou-se o modelo de regressão linear simples para verificar a tendência no período estudado.

Resultados:

Foram registrados 6.229 suicídios, dos quais 3.390 (54,4%) aconteceram na segunda década de estudo. O coeficiente de mortalidade foi de 4,7 por 100.000 habitantes. A tendência temporal apresentou decréscimo de 23,5% (p=0,031). No sexo masculino e faixa etária de 20 a 39 anos observou-se declínio na morte autoprovocada de 23,8% (p=0,018) e 26,1% (p=0,046), respectivamente.

Conclusão:

A análise temporal revelou redução dos coeficientes de mortalidade por suicídio. Essa observação poderá contribuir para melhores direcionamentos de intervenções em saúde, otimizando recursos e esforços, sobretudo na prevenção do suicídio.

Descritores:
Suicídio; Causas Externas; Mortalidade; Estatísticas Vitais; Tendências

INTRODUCTION

Suicidal behavior is referred to as a complex phenomenon that manifests itself through ideas and planning that may culminate in suicidal action, the outcome of which may or may not be fatal(11 Turecki G, Brent DA. Suicide and suicidal behaviour. Lancet. 2016;387(10024):1227-39. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00234-2
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00...
). Suicide is defined as the intentional human act of ceasing with one’s own life, an act influenced by demographic, biological and social aspects(22 Klonsky ED, May AM, Saffer BY. Suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2016;12:307-30. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093204
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-...
-33 Samaan Z, Bawor M, Dennis BB, El-Sheikh W, DeJesus J, Rangarajan S, et al. Exploring the determinants of suicidal behavior: conventional and emergent risk (DISCOVER): a feasibility study. Pilot Feasibility Stud.2015;1(1):1-17. doi: 10.1186/s40814-015-0012-4
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-015-0012-...
).

Among the factors associated with self-inflicted death are previous suicide attempts, presence of mental illness, aggressive and impulsive personality traits, past violence, and social isolation(44 Arenas A, Gómez-Restrepo C, Rondón M. Factores asociados a la conducta suicida en Colombia. Resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Mental 2015. Rev Colomb Psiquiatr. 2016;45:68-75. doi: 10.1016/j.rcp.2016.03.006
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcp.2016.03.00...
). Some population groups, such as indigenous people, are at higher risk of committing suicide(55 Orellana JD, Balieiro AA, Fonseca FR, Basta PC, Souza MLP. Spatial-temporal trends and risk of suicide in Central Brazil: an ecological study contrasting indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Rev Bras Psiquiat. 2016;38(3):222-30. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1720
https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1...
), which is also higher among males and individuals 65 years of age or older(66 Khazaei S, Armanmehr V, Nematollahi S, Rezaeian S, Khazaei S. Suicide rate in relation to the Human Development Index and other health related factors: a global ecological study from 91 countries. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2017;7(2):131-134. doi: 10.1016/j.jegh.2016.12.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2016.12.0...
-77 Skinner R, McFaull S, Rhodes AE, Bowes M, Rockett IRH. Suicide in Canada: is poisoning misclassification an issue? Can J Psychiatry. 2016;61(7):405-12. doi: 10.1177/0706743716639918
https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743716639918...
).

For the year 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 788,000 deaths by suicide, indicating global mortality coefficient of 10.7 per 100,000 inhabitants(88 World Health Organization (WHO). Global Health Observatory (GHO) data[Internet]. 2017 [cited 2018 Jan 08]. Available from: https://www.who.int/gho/mental_health/suicide_rates/en/
https://www.who.int/gho/mental_health/su...
). However, the lack of data in some countries and the irregularity in sending this information to WHO limit the precise knowledge of this event in the world(66 Khazaei S, Armanmehr V, Nematollahi S, Rezaeian S, Khazaei S. Suicide rate in relation to the Human Development Index and other health related factors: a global ecological study from 91 countries. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2017;7(2):131-134. doi: 10.1016/j.jegh.2016.12.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2016.12.0...
,99 Värnik P. Suicide in the world. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012;9(3):760-71. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9030760
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph9030760...
).

Brazil is among the ten countries that have the highest absolute numbers of death by suicide(99 Värnik P. Suicide in the world. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012;9(3):760-71. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9030760
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph9030760...
). In 2015, there were 11,736 cases, with a mortality coefficient of 5.7 per 100,000 inhabitants(1010 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Suicídio: saber, agir e prevenir [Internet]. Ministério da Saúde; 2017 (Boletim Epidemiológico, v. 48, n. 30) [cited 2018 Jan 09]. Available from: http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2017/setembro/21/2017-025-Perfil-epidemiologico-das-tentativas-e-obitos-por-suicidio-no-Brasil-e-a-rede-de-atencao-a-saude.pdf
http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/imag...
). In the state of Pernambuco, between 2011 and 2013, self-inflicted deaths accounted for 4.2% of all external causes(1111 Melo GB, Alves SV, Lima ML. Mortality from external causes in Pernambuco, 2001-2003 and 2011-2013. Rev Bras Enferm. 2015;68(5):573-9. doi:10.1590/0034-7167.2015680513i
https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167.201568...
).

Suicide mortality trend is influenced by factors such as sex, age and means employed(1212 Jukkala T, Stickley A, Mäkinen IH, Baburin A, Sparén P. Age, period and cohort effects on suicide mortality in Russia, 1956-2005. BMC Public Health. 2017;17:235. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4158-2
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4158-...

13 Zhong BL, Chiu HF, Conwell Y. Elderly suicide trends in the context of transforming China, 1987-2014. Sci Rep. 2016;6:37724. doi: 10.1038/srep37724
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep37724...
-1414 Dogan N, Toprak D. Trends in suicide mortality rates for Turkey from 1987 to 2011: a joinpoint regression analysis. Arch Iran Med. 2015;18(6):355-61. doi: 015186/AIM.006
https://doi.org/015186/AIM.006...
). Identifying temporal changes and the epidemiological profile of suicide is relevant to subsidize the planning of intervention actions of the health sector and related areas capable of minimizing its occurrence.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the temporal tendency and the epidemiological characteristics of mortality by suicide in the state of Pernambuco, from 1996 to 2015.

METHOD

Ethical aspects

The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Health Sciences Center of the Federal University of Pernambuco. The study complied with national and international guidelines for research involving human subjects.

Design, study location and study period

This is an ecological study of temporal trend. The state of Pernambuco is located in the Northeast region of Brazil and has a land area of 98,076,021 km2. Administratively, it is divided into 185 municipalities distributed into 12 Regional Health Departments. The estimated population for 2015 was 9,345,173 inhabitants(1515 Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). IBGE Estados [Internet]. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2016 [cited 2017 Oct 28]. Available from: https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/?sigla=pe
https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/?sigla=pe...
). The study analyzed the suicides occurred between 1996 and 2015 by residents of the state of Pernambuco. The data come from the Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM), corresponding to the large group of causes of self-inflicted lesions (X60-X84) of the 10th revision of the international classification of diseases (ICD-10). Population estimates were taken from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE/2010)(1515 Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). IBGE Estados [Internet]. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2016 [cited 2017 Oct 28]. Available from: https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/?sigla=pe
https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/?sigla=pe...
).

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

All suicide deaths occurred in residents of the state of Pernambuco aged 10 years or more between 1996 and 2015. The variables education and occupation were not analyzed due to the high proportion of incompleteness (39.4% and 25.6%, respectively).

Study protocol

The data used were obtained through a declaration of consent granted by the State Health Department of Pernambuco.

Analysis of results and statistics

The epidemiological characterization of the suicides was analyzed according to decades (1996−2005 and 2006−2015). The following variables were observed: sex, age, race/color, marital status, place of occurrence, Regional Health Department and method used for death. For each variable, the proportions and variation rates (Δ%) for the two decades were calculated using the formula: Δ% = ([Decade 2 - Decade 1]/ Decade 1) × 100.

For the temporal trend analysis, the simple linear regression technique was used. The suicide mortality coefficients ([suicide number/resident population of Pernambuco aged ten years or more] × 100,000 inhabitants) were considered the dependent variable, and the calendar year the independent variable. The program R version 3.4.1.was used for the descriptive analyses and obtaining the equations of the linear trends and adjustment statistics of the models. The level of significance was set at 5%. In order to control the effect of different age and sex structures, simultaneous standardization by age and sex of gross suicide mortality coefficients was performed. The direct method of standardization was chosen, adopting the population of the state of Pernambuco from the 2010 IBGE census as the standard. Standardization was considered necessary to have mortality rates that were comparable to each other over the study period.

RESULTS

In the period studied (1996-2015), there were 6,229 suicides according to SIM, with a standardized mortality coefficient of 4.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. There was a decline in the total mortality coefficient, which went from 5.1 to 3.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a reduction of 23.5% (p=0.031) (Figure 1). The mean standardized coefficient of mortality in males was 7.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a reduction of -23.8 (p=0.018) (Table 1). Among women, this coefficient was 2.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a decrease of -22.2%. The ratio of the global mean coefficient between men and women was 3:1. As for the age group, it was verified that only the group between 20 and 39 years showed a decreasing tendency (R2=0.204, p=0.046) (Table 1).

Figure 1
Mortality coefficient by suicide of the total population of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, by sex (1996-2015)

Table 1
Trend analysis and adjusted model of the standardized coefficient of total suicide, by sex and age, of the resident population of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil (1996-2015)

Analyses of the epidemiological characteristics of suicides are presented in Table 2. There was predominance of males, with 2,127 (74.9%) in the first decade and 2,525 (74.5%) in the second; however, there was a 1.6% increase in deaths among women. As for the age group, the highest concentration (>40%) is among young adults (20 to 39 years); however, the group from 40 to 59 years presented an increase of 11.3%, with statistical significance (p=0.008). Brown and single individuals were the most affected, recording, respectively, an increase of 22.6% (p<0.001) and 6.3% (p=0.009). The most common place of occurrence was at home, with 1,250 (45.2%) deaths in the first decade and 1,563 (47%) in the second. In relation to Regional Health Departments, there was a higher frequency in the first one, with 1,046 (36.9%) between 1996 and 2005 and 1,237 (36.7%) between 2006 and 2015. Although not significant, Regional Health Department IX showed the highest percentage change deaths by suicide (10.9%).

Table 2
Epidemiological characterization of suicide deaths in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, according to decades (1996-2005/2006-2015)

In the male sex, hanging was the most used method in the execution of suicide, rising from 946 (44.5%) to 1,450 (57.4%) among the decades analyzed (increase of 29.0%) (Table 3). There was a difference in the pattern of the death method used by the female sex, in which hanging pre- dominated during the first decade, with 197 deaths (27.7%), and pesticides prevailed in the second decade, with 290 deaths (33.5%), see Table 3. The use of firearms was significantly reduced (-58.6%) among men (p<0.001) and women (-63.2%) (p=0.001), as seen in the same table.

Table 3
Characterization by sex of the suicide method used in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, according to decades (1996-2005 and 2006-2015)

DISCUSSION

The results demonstrate a reduction in the suicide mortality coefficient for the period analyzed. A similar trend was observed in global suicide rates, with a reduction of 26% between 2000 and 2012(1717 World Health Organization (WHO). Preventing suicide: a global imperative [Internet]. 2014 [cited 2017 Oct 16]. Available from: https://apps. who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/131056/9789241564779_eng.pdf;jsessionid=DEF20ABB8458CFA27BDEE82183A641E6?sequence=1
https://apps. who.int/iris/bitstream/han...
). A study on the trend of self-inflicted mortality in the United States and in 25 European countries (1990-2010) identified a 20% drop in mortality rates in 15 European countries and a 3.5% drop in the United States(1818 Fond G, Llorca PM, Boucekine M, Zendjidjian X, Brunel L, Lancon C, et al. Disparities in suicide mortality trends between United States of America and 25 European countries: retrospective analysis of WHO mortality database. Sci Rep. 2016;6:20256. doi: 10.1038/srep20256
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20256...
). In Brazil, from 1990 to 2015, there was a decrease in suicide mortality coefficients in some states, such as Rio de Janeiro (58.8%), Pernambuco (27.2%), Paraná (27.1%), Santa Catarina (24.3%) and Rio Grande do Sul (21.6%)(1919 Malta DC, Minayo MC, Soares Filho A, Silva MMA, Montenegro MMS, Ladeira RM, et al. Mortality and years of life lost by interpersonal violence and self-harm: in Brazil and Brazilian states: analysis of the estimates of the Global Burden of Disease Study, 1990 and 2015. Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2017;20(1):142-56. doi: 10.1590/1980-5497201700050012
https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-54972017000...
). The mean coefficient of suicide mortality in the state of Pernambuco (4.7 per 100,000 inhabitants) was lower than that observed in Brazil between 2000 and 2012 (5.7 per 100,000 inhabitants)(2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
). These coefficients are distributed differently among the regions of the country, being influenced by cultural aspects and ease of access to the medium used(55 Orellana JD, Balieiro AA, Fonseca FR, Basta PC, Souza MLP. Spatial-temporal trends and risk of suicide in Central Brazil: an ecological study contrasting indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Rev Bras Psiquiat. 2016;38(3):222-30. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1720
https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1...
,1010 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Suicídio: saber, agir e prevenir [Internet]. Ministério da Saúde; 2017 (Boletim Epidemiológico, v. 48, n. 30) [cited 2018 Jan 09]. Available from: http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2017/setembro/21/2017-025-Perfil-epidemiologico-das-tentativas-e-obitos-por-suicidio-no-Brasil-e-a-rede-de-atencao-a-saude.pdf
http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/imag...
,2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
-2121 Marín-León L, Oliveira HB, Botega NJ. Suicide in Brazil, 2004-2010: the importance of small counties. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2012;32(5):351-9. doi: 10.1590/s1020-49892012001100005
https://doi.org/10.1590/s1020-4989201200...
). In 2010, the South Region recorded a coefficient of 7.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, while the Northeast Region had a rate of 4.6 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants, suggesting that self-inflicted death is more common in regions with higher quality of life(2222 Bando DH, Lester D. An ecological study on suicide and homicide in Brazil. Ciênc Saúde Colet. 2014;19(4):179-89. doi: 10.1590/1413-81232014194.00472013
https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232014194...
). This relationship, however, is not fully understood, since different research has linked a higher risk of death by suicide to conditions of socioeconomic disadvantage(2323 Redmore J, Kipping R, Trickey A, May MT, Gunnell D. Analysis of trends in adolescent suicides and accidental deaths in England and Wales, 1972-2011. Br J Psychiatry. 2016;209:327-33. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.162347
https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.16234...

24 Kiadaliri AA, Saadat S, Shahnavazi H, Haghparast-Bidgoli H. Overall, gender and social inequalities in suicide mortality in Iran, 2006-2010: a time trend province-level study. BMJ Open. 2014;4(8):e005227. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005227
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005...

25 Santana P, Costa C, Cardoso G, Loureiro A, Ferrão J. Suicide in Portugal: Spatial determinants in a context of economic crisis. Health Place. 2015;35(2015):85-94. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.07.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.20...
-2626 Bantjes J, Iemmi V, Costa E, Channer K, Leone T, McDaid D, et al. Poverty and suicide research in low- and middle-income countries: systematic mapping of literature published in English and a proposed research agenda. Glob Ment Health (Camb). 2016;3:e32. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2016.27
https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2016.27...
). In this study, a significant reduction in the trend of self-inflicted death among males and people aged between 20 and 39 years was identified. In Brazil, there was an increase (2000−2012) in the suicide coefficient for men (24.6%) of this age group (22.7%) (2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
). Explanations such as the expansion of economic and educational opportunities and greater ideological emancipation may be associated with a decrease in suicide rates in young adults(2727 Yin H, Xu L, Shao Y, Li L, Wan C. Relationship between suicide rate and economic growth and stock market in the People's Republic of China: 2004-2013. Neuropsychiatri Dis Treat. 2016;12:3119-28. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S116148
https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S116148...
). In 2006, the National Guidelines for the Prevention of Suicide Directive was instituted in Brazil(2828 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Portaria nº 1.876, de 14 de agosto de 2006. Institui Diretrizes Nacionais para Prevenção do Suicídio a serem implantadas em todas as unidades federadas, respeitadas as competências das três esferas de gestão [Internet]. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2006 [cited 2018 Sep 20]. Available from: http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/saudelegis/gm/2006/prt1876_14_08_2006.html
http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/saudelegis...
). In that same year, the Ministry of Health launched a Suicide Prevention Manual for mental health teams, whose objective was to detect conditions associated with the phenomenon of suicide earlier(2929 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Prevenção do suicídio: manual dirigido a profissionais das equipes de saúde mental[Internet]. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2006 [cited 2018 Set 22]. Available from: https://www.cvv.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/manual_prevencao_suicidio_profissionais_saude.pdf
https://www.cvv.org.br/wp-content/upload...
). Such initiatives may have reflected in the reduction of suicide mortality in Pernambuco, since they foment prevention strategies, stimulate the permanent education of health professionals and sensitize society about this public health problem.

The model of mental health care, implemented through the Psychosocial Care Network, provided the expansion of services and access to the treatment of psychopathologies(3030 Casa Civil (BR). Lei nº 10.216, de 6 de abril de 2001. Dispõe sobre a proteção e os direitos das pessoas portadoras de transtornos mentais e redireciona o modelo assistencial em saúde mental [Internet]. Brasília: Casa Civil; 2001 [cited 2017 Aug 10]. Available from: http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/leis_2001/l10216.htm
http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/lei...
). According to the Ministry of Health, the presence of Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) in municipalities can reduce the risk of suicide by 14%(3131 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Suicídio: saber, agir e prevenir [Internet]. Ministério da Saúde; 2017 (Boletim Epidemiológico, v. 48, n. 30) [cited 2018 Jan 09]. Available from: http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2017/setembro/21/2017-025-Perfil-epidemiologico-das-tentativas-e-obitos-por-suicidio-no-Brasil-e-a-rede-de-atencao-a-saude.pdf
http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/imag...
). CAPS implementation has grown significantly throughout the country(3232 Macedo JP, Abreu MM, Fontenele MG, Dimenstein M. A regionalização da saúde mental e os novos desafios da Reforma Psiquiátrica brasileira. Saúde Soc. 2017;26(1):155-70. doi: 10.1590/s0104-12902017165827
https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-1290201716...
). In Pernambuco, CAPS increased during the study period, from 11 to 129 units(3333 Ministério da Saúde (BR). DATASUS. Acesso à Informação - Informações de saúde ¬- Rede Assistencial [Internet]. Brasília (DF): Ministério da Saúde; 2018 [cited 2018 Sep 22]. Available from: http://tabnet.datasus.gov.br/cgi/deftohtm.exe?cnes/cnv/estabpe.def
http://tabnet.datasus.gov.br/cgi/deftoht...
).

Other factors are related to the reduction of the mortality of those who attempt suicide, such as the adequate support and the time of care provided between the trial and the hospital admission, besides the availability of urgent and emergency care offer(3434 Magalhaes APN, Alves VM, Comassetto I, Lima PC, Mancussi e Faro AC, Nardi AE. Atendimento a tentativas de suicídio por serviço de atenção pré-hospitalar. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2014;63(1):16-22. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000003
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
). Among the existing equipment in the network of mental health care for suicidal behavior are hospital emergencies and resources provided by prehospital care(3535 Silva SL, Kohlrausch ER. Pre-hospital care to the individual with suicidal behavior: an integrative review. SMAD, Rev Eletrôn Saúde Mental Álcool Drog. 2016;12(2):108-15. doi: 10.11606/issn.1806-6976.v12i2p108-115
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1806-6976....
). The state of Pernambuco has a robust hospital network consisting of 27 urgency and emergency services of the Unified Health System(3636 Pernambuco (Estado). Secretaria Estadual de Saúde. Plano estadual de saúde: 2016-2019 [Internet]. 2016 [cited 2018 Sept 20]. Available from: http://www.ces.saude.pe.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PES-2016-2019-FINAL_23_12_2016-1.pdf
http://www.ces.saude.pe.gov.br/wp-conten...
). There was also an increase in the number of prehospital services. The emergency care units implemented in 2010 currently total 15, and the population cover- age of the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU) increased from 20.8% to 61.8% between 2004 and 2015, respectively(3636 Pernambuco (Estado). Secretaria Estadual de Saúde. Plano estadual de saúde: 2016-2019 [Internet]. 2016 [cited 2018 Sept 20]. Available from: http://www.ces.saude.pe.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PES-2016-2019-FINAL_23_12_2016-1.pdf
http://www.ces.saude.pe.gov.br/wp-conten...
).

There was a greater frequency of suicide among men. This result is consonant with the national and international literature(66 Khazaei S, Armanmehr V, Nematollahi S, Rezaeian S, Khazaei S. Suicide rate in relation to the Human Development Index and other health related factors: a global ecological study from 91 countries. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2017;7(2):131-134. doi: 10.1016/j.jegh.2016.12.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2016.12.0...
,99 Värnik P. Suicide in the world. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2012;9(3):760-71. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9030760
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph9030760...
,1818 Fond G, Llorca PM, Boucekine M, Zendjidjian X, Brunel L, Lancon C, et al. Disparities in suicide mortality trends between United States of America and 25 European countries: retrospective analysis of WHO mortality database. Sci Rep. 2016;6:20256. doi: 10.1038/srep20256
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20256...
,2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
,3737 Callanan V, Davis M. Gender differences in suicide methods. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012;47(6):857-69. doi: 10.1007/s00127-011-0393-5
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0393-...

38 Mergl R, Koburger N, Heinrichs K, Székely A, Tóth MD, Coyne J, et al. What are reasons for the large gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts? An epidemiological analysis in four European countries. PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0129062. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129062
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.012...
-3939 Veisania Y, Mohamadianb F, Delpishehc A, Khazaeid S. Socio-demographic factors associated with choosing violent methods of suicide, 2011-2016, Ilam province. Asian J Psychiatr. 2018;35(2018):72-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2018.05.018
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2018.05.01...
). Among the possible explanations is the use of more lethal means and the higher prevalence of alcohol consumption(4040 Sena-Ferreira N, Pessoa VF, Boechat-Barros R, Figueiredo AE, Minayo MC. Fatores de risco relacionados com suicídios em Palmas (TO), Brasil, 2006-2009, investigados por meio de autópsia psicossocial. Ciênc Saúde Colet. 2014;19(1):115-26. doi: 10.1590/1413-81232014191.2229
https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232014191...

41 Braga LL, Dell’aglio DD. Suicide in adolescence: risk factors, depression and gender. Contextos Clínic. 2013;6(1):2-14. doi: 10.4013/ctc.2013.61.01
https://doi.org/10.4013/ctc.2013.61.01...
-4242 O’Neill S, Ennis E, Corry C, Bunting B. Factors associated with suicide in four age groups: a population based study. Arch Suicide Res. 2018;22(1):128-38. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2017.1283265
https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2017.12...
).

Hanging was the main method used in suicide among men. In women, there was a difference in the profile of the method used, with death by hanging being predominant in the first decade and pesticides in the second. Throughout the world, suicide methods vary and depend on factors such as availability of access and cultural and sociodemographic aspects(4343 Fisher LB, Overholser JC, Dieter L. Methods of committing suicide among 2.347 people in Ohio. Death Stud. 2015;39(1):39-43. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2013.851130
https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2013.85...
). According to the WHO, pesticide ingestion is the most widely used medium in the world(4444 World Health Organization (WHO). Suicide fact sheet [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2018 [cited 2018 Apr 02]. Available from: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sh...
). In general, men use more lethal suicide methods than women(3838 Mergl R, Koburger N, Heinrichs K, Székely A, Tóth MD, Coyne J, et al. What are reasons for the large gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts? An epidemiological analysis in four European countries. PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0129062. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129062
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.012...
-3939 Veisania Y, Mohamadianb F, Delpishehc A, Khazaeid S. Socio-demographic factors associated with choosing violent methods of suicide, 2011-2016, Ilam province. Asian J Psychiatr. 2018;35(2018):72-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2018.05.018
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2018.05.01...
). Female predilection for less violent means may be tied to the lower level of knowledge and technical skills to handle more brutal methods such as firearms, as well as the concern that the body or face are not seriously injured(3737 Callanan V, Davis M. Gender differences in suicide methods. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012;47(6):857-69. doi: 10.1007/s00127-011-0393-5
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0393-...
-3838 Mergl R, Koburger N, Heinrichs K, Székely A, Tóth MD, Coyne J, et al. What are reasons for the large gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts? An epidemiological analysis in four European countries. PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0129062. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129062
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.012...
). Male predilection for high-risk methods may be related to the desire not to fail, in order to demonstrate resilience, power, and emotions(3737 Callanan V, Davis M. Gender differences in suicide methods. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012;47(6):857-69. doi: 10.1007/s00127-011-0393-5
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0393-...
).

In Brazil, hanging is the most commonly used medium for self-inflicted death(1010 Ministério da Saúde (BR). Suicídio: saber, agir e prevenir [Internet]. Ministério da Saúde; 2017 (Boletim Epidemiológico, v. 48, n. 30) [cited 2018 Jan 09]. Available from: http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/images/pdf/2017/setembro/21/2017-025-Perfil-epidemiologico-das-tentativas-e-obitos-por-suicidio-no-Brasil-e-a-rede-de-atencao-a-saude.pdf
http://portalarquivos2.saude.gov.br/imag...
,2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
). An international study conducted in an Asian country found similar results(4545 Lim M, Lee SU, Park JI. Difference in suicide methods used between suicide attempters and suicide completers. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2014;8:54. doi: 10.1186/1752-4458-8-54
https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-4458-8-54...
). This is a method whose access is difficult to control, and the early identification of the individual at risk for the adoption of measures that restrict its use is crucial(2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
). Among the possible causes of increase in the use of pesticides is the fragility in the control of production and inspection of these substances(2020 Machado DB, Santos DN. Suicide in Brazil, from 2000 to 2012. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2015;64(1):45-54. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000056
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000000...
).

There was a significant reduction in the use of firearms with both sexes. A survey conducted in Paraná (1996−2012) revealed a decline in self-inflicted mortality with firearms among women (-60.3%) and men (-48.5%)(4646 Rosa NM, Oliveira RR, Arruda GO, Mathias TAF. Suicide mortality according to methods used in Paraná State: an epidemiological analysis. J Bras Psiquiatr. 2017;66(2):73-82. doi: 10.1590/0047-2085000000153
https://doi.org/10.1590/0047-20850000001...
). A relevant hypothesis concerns the rigor of registration, possession and commercialization of this object. Although suicide is a preventable event, avoiding self-inflicted death requires the efforts of various public sectors and society. To reduce the impact of these deaths, it is necessary to understand their aspects and to identify vulnerable subgroups. This study allowed to identify the behavior of suicide mortality, aside from pointing out the epidemiological characteristics that may contribute to the formulation of prevention strategies.

Limitation of the study

The use of secondary data represents a limitation to the study, especially since there are faults in filling out the collection instrument (death certificate). However, the quality of these data has improved substantially in recent years. Another limitation is the under-reporting of suicide cases, often caused by strong stigma and failure to accurately determine the cause of death.

Contributions to the area of nursing, health or public policy

The presence of specific groups that are more affected by suicide was verified through epidemiological characterization. This fact reveals that the guidelines for health interventions that seek to reach these populations are opportune. The results achieved in this article are expected to be useful for future suicide prevention, control, and follow-up strategies.

CONCLUSION

The temporal trend identified the decrease of suicide in the general population, in men and with age group between 20 and 39 years. Male subjects, the age group of 20 to 29 years old, single and brown individuals were the most affected. Differences in suicide media revealed by female subjects indicate the adoption of measures that systematically and efficiently control and monitor the commercialization and use of pesticides. Such findings may contribute to better targeting of health interve tions, optimizing resources and efforts, especially with regard to suicide prevention.

REFERENCES

Edited by

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Antonio José de Almeida Filho
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Mitzy Danski

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    15 May 2020
  • Date of issue
    2020

History

  • Received
    30 Apr 2018
  • Accepted
    02 Mar 2019
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