EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF DEATHS CAUSED BY SUICIDE IN BRAZIL BETWEEN 2016 AND 2020

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide consists of an intentional act to end one's own life. Nowadays, it is estimated that every 40 seconds a person commits suicide in the world (Penso, 2020). OBJECTIVE: to outline the epidemiological profile of deaths caused by suicide in Brazil between 2016 and 2020 and determine the preponderance of suicide by region. METHODS: This is a descriptive ecological study, with a quantitative approach to the mortality rate due to intentional self-harm from 2016 to 2020. Data from “Vital Statistics” were included in the research under the item “Mortality – since 1996 according to ICD-10” specifically the records of the “General Mortality” section contained in the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). EXPECTED RESULTS: The results of this work will contribute to understanding the magnitude of the problem and the relevance of carrying out research aimed at identifying the populations most vulnerable to suicidal behavior in order to develop preventive measures in a timely manner. As suicide is a complex and multifaceted behavior with numerous casual points for intervention, it is important to understand the demographic characteristics of the population that is most susceptible to this behavior. Through this research, the relevance of considering the variables age group, sex, year, region, ethnicity, marital status and place of occurrence was detected.