Suicides in a military police organization in southern Brazil

Abstract Background Suicide is considered a public health problem. Every year 840,000 people take their own lives. In military police, suicide rates are also high. Objective This study aimed to investigate occupational and social characteristics in cases of suicide of military police officers from Santa Catarina, Brazil, from 2012 to 2016. Method This is a documentary, descriptive and quantitative study, using socio-occupational information provided by the organization about suicide cases of military police officers. Results All military police officers who committed suicide are male (n = 14) and most have children (85.71%). About 85.71% of the suicide cases occurred in lower rank positions, especially in the first degree in the military hierarchy. Soldiers accounted for half of the cases (n = 7). In all cases, part of the salary was committed with loans or financial debts. Conclusion Important occupational characteristics in certain situations may become a risk factor for suicide of military police officers. Further research is needed, especially considering other important sources of information not used in this investigation.