Comportamentos suicidários: caracterização e discussão de fatores de vulnerabilidade

Abstract

Objectives: To characterise the group of patients that had the first medical appointment in the Suicidal Behaviour Unit (SCU) of Braga Hospital (HB) psychiatric service during the years 2014-2015 and identify features associated with the higher risk of repeating behaviour and use of violent methods. Type of study: Observational, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical. Location: Braga Hospital. Population: Patients who had the first appointment in HB psychiatry service UCS in the period between 01/01/2014 and 31/12/2015. Methods: Collection of routine data using de clinical file. Collection of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and clinical circumstances of suicidal behaviour. SPSS software, v. 21, was used to analyse and process the data. Univariate and bivariate descriptive analysis were performed. Then a binary logistic regression model was created to identify possible risk factors associated with repeated behaviours and more violent methods. Results: The study included 154 individuals, mostly women (70.8%) with average age of 39.7 years. Most of them were married (51.9%). A higher number of suicide attempts were observed during months whose days have less sun. Drug intake was the most frequently used method (68.2%). The most violent and lethal methods were more used by men (p=0.036). The use of substances was associated with the practice of more violent suicidal attempts (p=0.045). Personality disorder (p=0.001) and treatment with antidepressants (p=0.028) were risk factors for suicidal behaviour repetition. In this study, most of individuals (72%) had an appointment in primary care, in the 12 months prior to the suicidal attempt. Conclusions: In this study the most frequent diagnosis was depression. This study allowed to identify personality disorders and the use of antidepressant medication as risk factors associated with repetitive suicidal behaviour. Our results point male gender and substance abuse as risk factors to the use of more violent and lethal methods. This knowledge is essential for the prevention of mortality associated with suicidal behaviour, especially among family doctors. However, more studies are needed to strengthen the influence of the risk factors in the population.