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. 2021 Oct;56(10):1779-1790.
doi: 10.1007/s00127-021-02060-6. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

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

Keltie McDonald  1 , Daiane Borges Machado  2   3 , Luís F S Castro-de-Araujo  2   4 , Lígia Kiss  5 , Alexis Palfreyman  5 , Maurício L Barreto  2   6 , Delanjathan Devakumar  5 , Glyn Lewis  7
Affiliations

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

Keltie McDonald et al. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: Understanding long-term patterns of suicide methods can inform public health policy and prevention strategies. In Brazil, firearm-related policies may be one salient target for suicide prevention. This study describes trends in method-specific suicide at the national and state-levels in Brazil, with a particular focus on firearm-related suicides.

Methods: Brazilian mortality data for suicide and undetermined intent among people aged 10 years and older between 2000 and 2017 were obtained from the National Mortality Information System. We examined national and state-level trends in age-standardised suicide rates for hanging, self-poisoning, firearms, jumping from a high place, other, and unspecified methods. We also compared total rates of mortality from suicide and undetermined intent over the period. Applying Joinpoint regression, we tested changes in trends of firearm-specific suicide rates.

Results: The total suicide rate increased between 2000 and 2017. Rates of hanging, self-poisoning by drugs or alcohol and jumping from a high place showed the largest increases, while firearm-specific suicide rates decreased over the study period. Trends in methods of suicide varied by sex and state.

Conclusion: It is of public health concern that suicide rates in Brazil have risen this millennium. Restricting access to firearms might be an effective approach for reducing firearm-specific suicides, especially in states where firearm availability remains particularly high. Treatment and management of substance misuse may also be an important target for suicide prevention policies. More work is needed to understand the causes of rising suicide rates in Brazil and to improve the mental health of the population.

Keywords: Ecological study; Epidemiology; Mental health; Public health; Suicide.

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Conflict of interest statement

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-standardised suicide rates per 100,000 by sex and method, 2000–2017
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Change in age and sex-standardised rates per 100,000 of suicide by method, 2000 to 2017 for each Brazilian state. Data are absolute change in rate of suicide per 100,000 (rate difference)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Trends in suicide by firearm by sex, 2000–2017. Trends in age-standardised rate of suicide by firearm per 100,000 in Brazil by sex, identified from the Joinpoint Regression analysis. APC annual percentage change. *Trend is significantly different from zero at the 0.05 level
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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