Suicide in Portugal: Image of the country

Abstract

Objective: To identify patterns of suicide trends registered in Portugal, taking into account a set of socio-economic and demographic variables between the years 2007 and 2014 in order to obtain an overview of this scourge in Portugal. Methods: Using data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and the Death Certificate Information System (SICO), suicide was analyzed according to the category of ICD10 (International Classification of Diseases), the incidence by gender, age group and region. Results: The most affected to suicide are men (54, 8%), over 75 years old (30.9%) and occurs in the more rural areas of the interior of the country that are more deprived of materials. The highest suicide mortality is found in the Alentejo region (12, 8%). Conclusion: Mortality due to suicide continues to grow in Portugal and varies according to gender, age is highest in the Central and South regions. A strategy of follow-up and prevention in the field of social action and health care is required, with important regional variations and greater vigilance on the illegal trade in firearms and pesticides.