Relative increase in suicide among deaths from external causes in Paraguay, 2018-2022: challenges for public health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32480/rscp.2026.e3129Keywords:
cause of death, epidemiological monitoring, mortality, wounds and injuries, young adult, suicideAbstract
Deaths from external causes are a priority public health problem, especially because they affect young people of productive age. The objective was to describe the distribution of deaths from external causes in Paraguay between 2018 and 2022 and to analyze the temporal trend of proportional mortality from suicide within that group. We conducted a population-based observational study based on the secondary analysis of aggregated data from the INDIMOR 2018-2022 database (MSPBS/DIGIES/DES), classified according to the ICD-10; the suicide trend was assessed using the Cochran-Armitage test and a logistic regression. A total of 15,952 deaths from external causes were recorded. Transport accidents were the leading cause (6,375; 40.0%), followed by other accidents (4,159; 26.1%), suicides (2,683; 16.8%), and homicides (2,614; 16.4%). Suicides rose from 443 to 659 cases (+48.8%), with a significant increasing trend (trend chi²=30.3; p<0.001), and accounted for 19.6% of external causes in 2022. Male sex (73.6%), the 20-29 year age group (32.8%), and residence in the Central department (30.3%) predominated. The relative increase in suicide calls for strengthening surveillance, prevention, and the mental health response.
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