title: Suicide in University students in Bogotá, Colombia, 2004-2014.
abstract: We report the results of a retrospective, descriptive, qualitative study of suicide among university students in Bogotá, Colombia. The objective of this study was to document the magnitude, principal characteristics, and impact of this phenomenon in the selected population. A semi-structured survey was employed to collect information from 66 individuals linked to the universities. A total of 45 cases of suicide were documented in the study period (2004 - 2014). Of these, 69% occurred in males and 31% in females. The age range was 17 - 27 years, with 62% of the cases in the 19 - 22 year-old group. The most common mechanisms employed were suffocation and poisoning, followed by intentional falls, use of a firearm, and drug overdose. The selected location was the place of residence in 52% of cases and the university campus in 16% of cases. The distribution of students by area of knowledge showed a predominance of social and human science (44%) followed by engineering (22%). A history of difficulties in family and affective relationships was common among victims, as was a history of exposure to intolerance of differences in sexual orientation. The individuals surveyed expressed a wide range of interpretations of the significance of suicide, both positive (courage, self-affirmation, autonomy) and negative (defeat, despair, and an inability to adapt).
authors.affiliation: Universidad Santo Tomás. Carrera 9 n.° 51-11. Bogotá Colômbia. saulfranco@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Saúl Alonso
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Martha Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sarmiento
authors.affiliation: Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Decsy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cuspoca
authors.affiliation: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tatis
authors.affiliation: Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castillejo
authors.affiliation: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barrios
authors.affiliation: Universidad Santo Tomás. Carrera 9 n.° 51-11. Bogotá Colômbia. saulfranco@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Magnolia Del Pilar
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ballesteros-Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá Colômbia.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zamora
authors.affiliation: Universidad Santo Tomás. Carrera 9 n.° 51-11. Bogotá Colômbia. saulfranco@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Carlos Iván
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult