Clinical Research Center, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
Departamento Médico Legal de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2021 Dec;17(4):596-601. doi: 10.1007/s12024-021-00403-y. Epub 2021 Nov 5.
The purpose of this study was to describe demographic, toxicological, criminal, and medicolegal characteristics of suicides of young people aged up to 24 years examined by the Porto Alegre Medicolegal Office, from 2010 to 2016. This cross-sectional study collected data from the Porto Alegre Medicolegal Office and the Rio Grande do Sul State Police Department. The information was obtained from death certificates, toxicological analyses and police reports. Rates were calculated according to sex and age range (under 15 years old, 15 to 19 years old, and 20 to 24 years old) for comparing local with national data. There were 143 people who died by suicide in the period, 120 males and 23 females. Hanging was the most frequently used method, but in the range of 10 to 14 years old, firearm use was the predominant method. Fifty percent of male victims and 30% of female victims had some criminal history. Suicide rates in the study groups generally followed national trends. The relative frequency of suicide by firearm in this study diverged from international findings, as it was relatively more frequent in children under 15 years old and less frequent in older ranges. If confirmed, the finding draws attention to access to firearms in this age range. In older age ranges, adolescents and young adults were frequently involved in the criminal system. This finding may be useful for planning interventions involving both mental health education and screening for problems that may be associated with criminal involvement.
本研究旨在描述 2010 年至 2016 年期间，经波尔图阿雷格里港法医办公室检查的年龄在 24 岁以下的年轻人自杀的人口统计学、毒理学、犯罪学和法医学特征。这项横断面研究收集了波尔图阿雷格里港法医办公室和南里奥格兰德州警察局的数据。信息来自死亡证明、毒理学分析和警方报告。根据性别和年龄范围（15 岁以下、15 至 19 岁和 20 至 24 岁）计算比率，以比较本地和国家数据。在该时期，有 143 人自杀身亡，其中 120 名男性和 23 名女性。上吊是最常用的自杀方法，但在 10 至 14 岁年龄段，使用枪支是主要的自杀方法。50%的男性受害者和 30%的女性受害者有一些犯罪记录。研究组的自杀率总体上遵循国家趋势。本研究中枪支自杀的相对频率与国际研究结果不同，因为它在 15 岁以下儿童中相对更为常见，而在年龄较大的人群中则较少见。如果得到证实，这一发现将引起人们对该年龄段枪支获取的关注。在年龄较大的年龄段，青少年和年轻成年人经常涉及刑事系统。这一发现可能有助于规划涉及心理健康教育和筛查可能与犯罪有关的问题的干预措施。
