Author:

• Victor Alexandre Percinio Gianvecchio - Gianvecchio, V. A. P. - <victorgianvecchio@hotmail.com>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7549-1815

Co-author(s):

• Maria Helena Prado de Mello Jorge - Mello Jorge, M. H. P. - <mhpjorge@usp.br>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0294-4526

Abstract:

Suicide affects people of almost all ages and has a high social and economic cost. It is known, though, its true occurrence is underestimated. Objective: To study suicide in Sao Paulo based on Public Safety data, comparing with those of the mortality information system data (SIM/MS), in order to measure possible information gains. Methods: A database (Banco SSP) was assembledspreadsheets for police reports, complemented with Forensic Medicine Institute existing information, which was compared with the SIM/MS data. Results: The Banco SSP database (2469) was 7.5% higher than SIM/MS (2297), results reflected on the sex and age of the victims, showing the highest rates in elderly men (rate 12.8 per 100,000 inhabitants). In relation to the method of suicide, there was a predominance of hanging (60.2%); 92.5% of unspecified cases were clarified, with increase in deathsexogenous poisoning (55.7%). The police report allowed to know variables considered as possible risk factors for suicide, such as mention of mental disorders (39.4%), other pathologies (5.0%), other problems (23.2%) and previous attempts (10.0%). Conclusion: The source enabled obtaining quantitative and qualitatively improve data compared to the SIM/MS data.

Keywords:

Suicide, epidemiology, mortality, external causes, health information systems

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