Profile of patients attending a general hospital after a suicide attempt

Abstract

Suicide is recognized as a priority in terms of public health, being one of the ten most frequent causes of death among all ages, and one of the three more frequent causes of death among subjects within 15 - 35 age range. In Brazil, although mortality rates by suicide is about 4 deaths per 100 thousands inhabitants; a recent report demonstrated that between 1979 and 1998, suicide rates increased 43% among young people living in urban areas. Furthermore, Brazil is placed in the ninth rank of mortality due to suicide. Many distinct factors are related to suicide attempts and their identification is of paramount importance for establishing appropriate preventive strategies. The objective of this study is to identify risk factors related to suicide attempts among patients attending a general hospital. (AU)