Características sociodemográficas y suicidios consumados en las ciudades de Santa Marta y Bucaramanga (Colombia): un estudio retrospectivo de género 2010-2014

The current study aims to describe mortality by suicide in relation to variables such as age, gender, marital status, method, time, day, evolutionary stage, and occupation of individuals in the cities of Santa Marta and Bucaramanga during the period 2010-2014. A total of 208 suicides were analyzed. 89 cases were reported in Santa Marta, Magdalena, and 119 cases, in Bucaramanga, Santander. In the same way, it is highlighted that 84% of cases occurred in men and 16%, in women. A retrospective descriptive analysis of the data provided by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences was done. Besides, Pearson’s X test was used to determine the association between gender and method used, day and time of death. Among the main results -and in relation to completed suicides-, there is a higher proportion of men (84%), compared to women (16%). In addition, the behavior of suicide frequencies per year shows a stable pattern of 22.1% for the 2010 and 2011. Then, it begins to decline slightly, reaching 16.3% of deaths due to suicidal behavior in 2014. Among the main conclusions, it was found that there is not a statistically signiicant association between gender and the method used to commit suicide. Regarding the day and hour, it was concluded that weekends and Thursdays are the days when the frequency of suicides increases, especially during the irst 12 hours of day. Finally, it is highlighted that 41% of the suicide victims were single and 45% did not perform professional tasks