The incidence of hospital-treated attempted suicide in Oviedo, Spain

Background: The incidence of hospital-treated attempted suicide has not been well established in Spain. Aims: To determine the incidence of suicide attempters presenting to a hospital in Oviedo, Spain, to describe the nature of the suicidal behavior, and to identify sociodemographic subgroups of the population with high rates. Methods: All admitted to the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, during the period 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2009 were examined and those meeting the internationally-recognized case definition were identified. Results: A total of 308 suicide attempt presentations (39% male, 61% female) were made by 279 individuals. Almost 90% of the suicide attempts involved a drug overdose. The age-adjusted total, male, and female attempted suicide rates were 83, 66, and 99 per 100,000, respectively. The highest rate was among 35-44-year-olds for men and women (141.1 and 191.8 per 100,000, respectively). Incidence rates varied widely by sociodemographic characteristics with especially high rates among separated/divorced men (2.4%) and women (1.1%). Conclusions: The reported incidence of hospital-treated attempted suicide is below average in the European context but higher than that reported by previous Spanish studies. Persons separated or divorced constitute a high-risk group.