Citation

Medina-Pérez A, Díaz-Téllez S, Rozo-David AJ. Rev. Fac. Med. Univ. Nac. Colomb. 2015; 63(3): 431-438.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Centro Hospitalarios San Juan De Dios)

DOI

10.15446/revfacmed.v63n3.43798

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Introduction. Suicide rates have increased in recent years, as indicated by various sources, including the World Health Organization (WHO), in regard with it, it is required precise knowledge of the characteristics in order to make more effective the intervention efforts. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize suicide in adolescents from Antioquia, in the period 2000-2010.

METHODS. A quantitative, descriptive and transversal study was conducted. Suicides information was obtained from death certificates registered with the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE); person, time and place variables were analyzed. Descriptive measures and rates were calculated.

RESULTS. 693 suicides were recorded in the eleven years studied. Of these, 63.2% were men; 83% were over the age fourteen; 80.1% were single; 42.1% chose hanging. The average age was placed at 16.5 years (SD 2.16). The highest proportion of suicides occurred in the months of July, with 10.7%; 2005 was the year with the highest proportion of suicides with 11.1%. The rate for the period was 5.7 per hundred thousand adolescents (7.1 in men and 4.3 in women). The highest risk was in the municipalities in the Northeast, which recorded a rate of 8.8 per hundred thousand teenagers.

CONCLUSIONS. The study shows that teen suicide is a serious public health problem in Antioquia and reveals its main features, contributing to the creation of prevention programs. © 2015 Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved.

Language: es

Keywords

Colombia; Suicide; Mortality; Adolescents