INTRODUCTION:

During the last decade, an increase in children and adolescents' completed suicide has been reported nationally and internationally. Psychiatric disorders, family circumstances and sociocultural influences are associated risk factors.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe suicidal tendency in children and adolescents during 1998-2011 in Mexico.

METHOD:

National Data Health Records on mortality in children and adolescents younger than 20 years between from the year 1998 to 2011 were analyzed. Rates and indices were calculated using population projections from the National Population Council. The Truncated Trend of Standardized Mortality, change rate and the Years of Life Lost Index were calculated.

RESULTS:

In the 5 to 19 year group population, the completed suicide deaths accounted for 7% of the external cause injuries; the male-female ratio was 2.2:1. Overall, the tendency increased from 18.5 to 31.9 by 106. Hanging was the method most often employed. The percentage of change was greater in women with 6%. The county with the highest trend was Hidalgo with 17.2%. In 2011, Tabasco was the county with the highest index of years lost by suicide with 67%.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

The increase in completed suicide in the adolescent's group, the hanging method, the low socioeconomic status and the problems with the registry's death system are data that have also been reported by other authors. The suicide mortality trend has increased. Hanging was the preferred method nationally. A deficient recording system remains an unresolved issue.

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