Suicide in Bogota: an increasing phenomenon in young populations.

Abstract

An observational analytic study was carried out to analyze bimodal patterns related with age in suicidal victims in Bogotá during 1990, 1995 and 2000 using information from autopsy reports. The analysis was based on statistical models of finite mixture distributions, and parameters were estimated with maximum likelihood methods. Two hundred and twenty two suicides were analyzed in 1990, 272 in 1995, and 330 in 2000. The presence of a bimodal distribution in each one of the analyzed years was demonstrated. As time passes, the means became progressively smaller. Age showed a bimodal distribution during the analyzed period. Means tendencies suggest that suicide is becoming more frequent among young people. Additional research and specific mental health strategies are recommended for these risk groups.