Characterizing suicide in young adults of the metropolitan area of the department of Risalda, Colombia, 2005-2011

Abstract

The aim of the current study was characterizing suicide in young adults of the metropolitan area of the department of Risalda, Colombia in the period 2005-2011. For that we carried out a transversal descriptive study analyzing the suicide database, given by the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the Department of Risalda; the rates were calculated using the population projections of the National Administrative Department of Statistics. There were 118 cases of suicide among young adults in the studied period, 82,2 % men and 18,8 % women. Pereira contributed with 78 % of the cases. The most used mechanism was hanging, with 45,7 %, followed by firearms, with 22 %.  Regarding scholarship, 28 % only had finished the primary school and 30,5 %, the secondary school. There was a predomination of bachelors with 56,8 % over the rest of the marital status. The specific  rate of the period was 9,2 x 100 000 inhabitants; 15,5 for men and 3,2  for women. These high quantities show the need for further work on the issue and claim the higher authorities’ prevention plans.