Suicide burden in Latin America, 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

OBJECTIVES

Suicide is a critical public health issue worldwide. The objective was to report the findings from the Global Burden of Disease study on the burden of suicide in Latin America from 1990 to 2019 and to assess its association with the sociodemographic index (SDI).

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study.

METHODS

Following the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study, suicide mortality, premature mortality, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years in Latin America are reported.

RESULTS

The number of deaths from suicides increased significantly in most countries, but the age-standardized suicide mortality rate had a heterogeneous behavior. Suicide burden was higher for males in all age groups, and in most countries, the male-to-female ratio increased between 1990 and 2019. Almost all suicide burden is attributable to premature mortality. The highest suicide burden was present in young males and females. All countries had an increase in the SDI, and in most countries, there was a statistically significant correlation between this indicator and the suicide disability-adjusted life-years rates.

CONCLUSIONS

To best promote suicide prevention, it is important to understand sex and age-specific suicide burden patterns. According to these results, prevention programs intended to prevent suicide should be implemented with a special focus on high-risk groups such as young adults and the elderly.