Indigenous Suicide in Brazil: Temporal Trends from 2000-2019

This study aimed to verify the temporal trends in suicide deaths among Brazilian Indigenous people in the period 2000-2019. Data on Indigenous suicide from the Brazilian Mortality Information System were stratified by sex and age group. Prais-Winsten regression analyzed the time trends, and the coefficients represented the annual growth rate (AGR). Significant changes were assumed when the coefficients differed significantly from zero (p<0.05). From 2000 to 2019, 1912 deaths of Indigenous people by suicide were recorded. Suicide rates increased from 2000 to 2019 for the overall (AGR= 0.50, 95%CI= .40; .59; p<.001) and both sexes (female AGR= .18, 95%CI= .09; .27, p<0,001; male AGR= .79, 95%CI= .61; .96, p<.001). Overall suicide rates increased among Indigenous people aged between 10-19 years old (AGR=0.46, 95%CI= .10; .83; p=.015) and 20-39 years old, (AGR = 0.70, 95%CI=55; .85; p<0.001), with a more significant growing trend seen for males (ACR=1.08, 95%CI= .77; 1.41, p<.001), Suicide mortality among Brazilian Indigenous people is increasing, especially among children and adolescents, and young adults. If this scenario continues, in 2029, we estimate that overall suicide rates will reach around 46,0 deaths per 100,000 Indigenous people, representing that over 420 Indigenous will commit suicide per year.