Suicide attempts revealed: methods and emerging hotspots from police data
Abstract
Background: Suicide constitutes a major public health problem, responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually worldwide, according to WHO estimates; it ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds and has profound impacts on families, communities, and healthcare systems. Far from being isolated incidents, suicides reflect deeper systemic failures in addressing mental health disparities, underscoring the urgent need for public health surveillance and response.
Methods: A descriptive analysis of suicide attempt reports submitted by the Public Security Police to public health authorities of Funchal, Madeira, from 2013–2025 was conducted. Each report corresponds to a single episode; therefore, individuals may be represented more than once in the dataset. For each episode, data were collected on sex, age, method of attempt, location (for precipitation), and outcome (fatal or non-fatal). Hotspots of the precipitation were mapping.
Results: A total of 246 episodes (E) were analyzed. Median age was 40 years (P25–P75: 30–51.5; range 15–86), with 65.6% male. The most frequent methods were intentional medication ingestion (82E) and precipitation (80E), followed by self-harm (40E), poisoning (20E), and hanging (11E). Less frequent were drowning (6 E) and pedestrian collision attempts (5 E). Among precipitation cases, 17 occurred at home, 16 at hotspot A, 11 at hotspot B, and 8 at hotspot C. Most episodes were not completed, as individuals were prevented, and none of these cases resulted in death. Overall, 94.7% were transported to the Emergency Department and 13.8% were hospitalized. Two deaths occurred (hanging; poisoning with drowning).
Conclusions: The predominance of male episodes, the concentration of cases in middle age, and the frequent use of medication ingestion and precipitation identify priority areas for prevention. The recurrence of precipitation in specific hotspots suggests the need for targeted environmental and community-based interventions.
Key messages: • Intentional medication ingestion and precipitation are the most frequent suicide attempt methods in Funchal, Madeira.
• Hotspot-related precipitation highlights the need for targeted prevention strategies.
Related
- Beyond risk factors: a mixed-methods study of interpersonal dynamics in suicide attempts and reattempts from police narratives
- Risk factors and methods of NSSI and suicide attempts among American Indian and Alaska native adolescents and young adults: A systematic review protocol
- Sex differences in the association between body mass index and recent suicide attempts in treatment-naïve young adults with major depressive disorder
- Cannabis use patterns, depression trajectories and suicide attempts: a 10-year longitudinal study
- Prefrontal responses to negative emotional cognitive stimuli are associated with future suicide attempts in patients with mood disorders: a near-infrared spectroscopy study
BibTeX
@article{moreno2026suicide,
title = {{Suicide attempts revealed: methods and emerging hotspots from police data}},
author = {J Moreno and J Vieira Martins and S Cunha Goncalves},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1982},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1982},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Suicide attempts revealed: methods and emerging hotspots from police data
AU - J Moreno
AU - J Vieira Martins
AU - S Cunha Goncalves
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1982
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1982
AB - Background: Suicide constitutes a major public health problem, responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually worldwide, according to WHO estimates; it ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds and has profound impacts on families, communities, and healthcare systems. Far from being isolated incidents, suicides reflect deeper systemic failures in addressing mental health disparities, underscoring the urgent need for public health surveillance and response. Methods: A descriptive analysis of suicide attempt reports submitted by the Public Security Police to public health authorities of Funchal, Madeira, from 2013–2025 was conducted. Each report corresponds to a single episode; therefore, individuals may be represented more than once in the dataset. For each episode, data were collected on sex, age, method of attempt, location (for precipitation), and outcome (fatal or non-fatal). Hotspots of the precipitation were mapping. Results: A total of 246 episodes (E) were analyzed. Median age was 40 years (P25–P75: 30–51.5; range 15–86), with 65.6% male. The most frequent methods were intentional medication ingestion (82E) and precipitation (80E), followed by self-harm (40E), poisoning (20E), and hanging (11E). Less frequent were drowning (6 E) and pedestrian collision attempts (5 E). Among precipitation cases, 17 occurred at home, 16 at hotspot A, 11 at hotspot B, and 8 at hotspot C. Most episodes were not completed, as individuals were prevented, and none of these cases resulted in death. Overall, 94.7% were transported to the Emergency Department and 13.8% were hospitalized. Two deaths occurred (hanging; poisoning with drowning). Conclusions: The predominance of male episodes, the concentration of cases in middle age, and the frequent use of medication ingestion and precipitation identify priority areas for prevention. The recurrence of precipitation in specific hotspots suggests the need for targeted environmental and community-based interventions. Key messages: • Intentional medication ingestion and precipitation are the most frequent suicide attempt methods in Funchal, Madeira. • Hotspot-related precipitation highlights the need for targeted prevention strategies.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -