Medical-legal implication pattern of suicide mortality in Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide is the act of taking one's own life. Its relationship with biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors has been demonstrated.
Objectives: To discover an implicative pattern in the relationships between medical-legal variables that allow characterizing suicide mortality in the province of Santiago de Cuba.
Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with all suicide deaths in the province of Santiago de Cuba from 2015 to 2019. A series of variables representing biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors were analyzed, and implicative statistical analysis was used to discover multivariate asymmetric relationships.
Results: Suicide among females was more associated with burns and poisoning at home or in public, and among housewives. However, males were more likely to commit suicide by hanging, whether retired, working, or unemployed. Each age group, occupation, and marital status had its distinctive characteristics. In the early morning hours, suicides were more common among singles, those over 60 years of age, and those with depression who committed suicide at home or in public. Alcohol was the most common toxic habit. In the morning, suicides were more common among workers and those with marital status who were accompanied.
Conclusions: The suicide pattern in the province is predominantly male, among older adults, retirees, and singles. These individuals commit suicide at home by hanging, preferably in the afternoon. They suffer from depression, and personal conflicts were the driving force behind the act.