Fernández SAM, Rosales LY, Martínez LPR, Sablón PN, Oliva PM

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 583-592
PDF size: 270.61 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: suicidal behavior constitutes a serious health problem in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana with an average annual rate of 44 suicides per 100 000 inhabitants.
Objective: to describe suicide attempts occurred at a Guyanese hospital.
Method: a case series study based on emergency service charge sheets and medical records of 28 suicide attempts, attended at the Mahaicony Hospital, Guyana, from January to June, 2015.
Results: the age group from 10 to 29 was the most affected with 67.86%, without significant differences between women and men 53.57% and 46.43% each. Indians descendants represented 71.43%; followed by Africans with 21.43% and mixtures showed a 7.14%. Literacy was the predominant level of education up to 64.29% and the ingestion of toxic substances up to 92.86% was the leading method, followed by the ingestion of tablets with 7.14%.
Conclusions: suicide attempt is a health problem in this region, so strategies to identify and control the risk factors are the key for reducing its incidence.