Characterization of deaths by suicide between 2013-2017

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the frequency, distribution and main characteristics of suicide cases in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Methods Cross-sectional study that included all deaths by suicide reported from 01/01/2013 to 12/31/2017. The analysis included the description of the cases, the verification of the distribution of the method according to sex and the calculation of annual mortality estimates. Results 5,901 cases were reported, mostly male (79.3%), aged between 35-59 years (45.9%), white skin color (90.9%), elementary school (66,6%), without a spouse (63.6%) and secondary sector workers (54.4%). There was a predominance of police occurrences as a source of notification (90.8%), home as the place of occurrence (68.9%), hanging, strangulation or suffocation as a basic cause (71%), significant differences were observed between men and women as to the choice of method and increase in annual mortality rates in the analyzed period. Conclusion There was an increase in deaths by suicide in the studied place and period, indicating that it is an important cause of mortality, especially among adult men.