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Trends in self-poisoning in children and adolescents in Southern Brazil between 2005 and 2013

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

B. Rheinheimer ,
M. Kunz ,
A. Nicolella  and
T. Bastos
B. Rheinheimer*
Affiliation:
Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Ciências Médicas: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil
M. Kunz
Affiliation:
Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Ciências Médicas: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil
A. Nicolella
Affiliation:
Centro de Infromações Toxicológicas do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil
T. Bastos
Affiliation:
Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address:berenicerh@me.com (B. Rheinheimer)

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence and associated variables of intentional self-poisoning in individuals from 8 to 17 years.

Method

This study includes 4658 cases. Analyzed variables were gender, age, agent and time (month, week day and hour).

Results

In total, 3759 (80.70%) were girls. The rate in 100,000 children and adolescents residents grown from 25.12 in 2005 to 35.24 to 2012. The biggest incidence was in the 15 to 17 age group (63.35%). The leading agent was medications (84.6%): 1093 (23.47%) antidepressant, 967 (20.76%) benzodiazepines, 708 (15.20%) antipyretics, 606 (13.01%) anticonvulsants, 460 (9.88%) neuroleptics and 382 (8.2%) anti-inflammatory non-steroids. The antidepressant more used was amitriptyline (7.26%), followed by fluoxetine (6.57%). Growing cases involving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been seen, as a fall of self-poisoning tricyclic antidepressants cases. The majority of cases was in October (10.1%), on Tuesday (15.1%), and at 18:00 to 21:00 (29.46%).

Conclusion

The elevated rate of self-poisoning in children and adolescents in southern Brazil, growing each year, shows the relevance of this subject. It is important to considerate how easily these children and adolescents have access to psychotropics.

Keywords

Self-poisoningAttempted suicideChildren and adolescentsBrazil
Type
Congrès français de psychiatrie: Rencontres avec l’expert
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 30 , Issue S2: HS1 - Congrès Français de Psychiatrie 2015 , November 2015 , pp. S136
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2015

Disclosure of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

References

Further reading

Cheng TL et al. The spectrum of intoxication and poisonings among adolescents: surveillance in an urban population. Injury Prev 2006;12:129–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pomerantz W et al. Drug ingestions in children 10–14 years old: an old problem revisited. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2009;39(4):433–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prosser JM et al. The epidemiology of intentional non-fatal self-harm poisoning in the United States: 2001–2004. J Med Toxicol 2000;3(1):20–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhodes AE et al. Age-sex differences in medicinal self-poisonings. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2008;43:642–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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