Alcohol in suicide victims in Sao Paulo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A tendency toward violent and impulsive behavior is enhanced following the consumption of alcohol and is important in determining the etiology of deaths by external causes. In this context suicide appears to result from an attitude brought about by alcohol consumption or an expression of that same pathology which leads to substance abuse. OBJECTIVES: Considering the inexistence nationwide of data on suicides occurring under the influence of alcohol, the aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of alcohol consumption prior to suicide. METHODS: Direct analysis of 632 medical examiners reports on suicide victims autopsied at the Examiners Office (Instituto Médico-Legal) of the State of Sao Paulo, in the year 2005. RESULTS: Of the 632 cases reviewed, 33,1% presented a positive Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), with a higher occurrence in the case of men (37,1%) than that of women (20,1%). Hangings presented the highest prevalence of intoxicated victims, at a rate of 38,9% of the cases; intoxications presented the highest BAC mean, at 1,78 g/L. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that roughly speaking, about one third of the suicides in our sample carried out by differing methods were subsequent to alcohol consumption.