Descriptive study of suicide attempts in the Brazilian elderly population, 2000 – 2014

The study describes hospital admission rates for suicide attempts among the Brazilian elderly and discusses the weaknesses of data from information systems. Data were extracted from the Hospital Information System (HIS) and from the Violence and Injury Surveillance System (VIVA). The analyzes included: (1) temporal evolution of rates by age group (1-9; 10-19; 20-39; 40-59 and 60 or over) from 2000 to 2014 by region; (2) triennial hospital admission rates by sex for age groups 60-69, 70-79 and 80 or over by region and state; (3) hospital admission rates for the elderly from the two information systems. Temporal evolution showed higher rates in the north and lower ones in the northeast. The analysis by age group and sex showed higher rates for older men of the three investigated age groups. The comparison of rates obtained from the two information systems showed a gradual increase in rates from VIVA. After 2012, rates obtained from VIVA were higher in the Southeast, South and Midwest regions. The study highlights the need for further improvement of information on hospital morbidity and data from compulsory notification of violence.

Elderly; Suicide attempt; Morbidity; Information Systems; Under-registration