The suicide mortality rate has been reduced worldwide, however, this has not been the case in America, where since the year 2000 there has been an increase in cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) alert. Since only in 2019 more than 97,000 suicides have been registered on the continent, this organization urges a better understanding of the risk factors that contribute to people taking their own lives.
A new study just published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and its partners in the scientific journal The Lancet stresses that it is essential to take into account the social factors that influence suicidal behavior, also taking into account gender to design strategies effective prevention. In fact, 79% of suicides were men, although deaths by suicide among women have also increased.
The data reveal that between 2000 and 2019 homicide and the consumption of alcohol and other substances were related to suicide among men, while in the female population educational inequality is considered the main risk factor. Another of the variables associated with the increase in suicides, in this case in both sexes, was unemployment.
To prevent suicide, it is necessary to improve access to mental health care and strengthen the emotional and social skills of the population
The suicide mortality rate, according to PAHO, varied significantly depending on the subregion, with North America leading the way (14.1 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants) and the Andean region with the lowest rate (3.9 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants). ), which he attributes to the enormous sociocultural differences between societies. Regarding the countries, the study found differences ranging from 0.3 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Barbados to 65 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants in Guyana.
Improving mental health care to prevent suicides
To prevent suicide, it is not enough to limit access to the methods to commit it, says Dr. Renato Oliveira e Souza, PAHO’s chief of Mental Health and Substance Use and one of the authors of the study, but it is necessary to improve access to mental health care and reinforce the emotional and social skills of the population. “We also need to address contextual factors that affect men and women differently, which requires a whole-of-society approach,” he adds.
PAHO experts believe that improving employment opportunities and the access and effectiveness of health services, including those that address substance use, can help reduce suicide mortality rates. “Boosting social connections in rural and sparsely populated areas is also a recommended suicide prevention strategy,” the report states.
The study has also shown that the average suicide rate among men in the region decreased as per capita health spending increased, while that of women decreased in relation to the increase in the number of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants. . The figures also highlighted the urgent need to support people living in isolated rural areas.
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