Introduction:

Suicide in teenagers is a serious public health problem worldwide. The objective of this research is to characterize suicide in teenagers residing in the department of Cauca between 1998 and 2017, according to variables like person, time and place.

Material and Methods:

A descriptive quantitative investigation was carried out. Information was obtained from death certificates processed by the National Administrative Department of Statistics -DANE- of Colombia. Mortality rates were calculated using population estimates and projections made by DANE. Absolute and relative frequency measures were calculated in the variables of person, time, and place that were analyzed.

Results:

In the twenty-year study, a total of 496 suicides were registered in teenagers living in the department of Cauca. In addition, 51.0 % were committed by men, 17.3 % had some type of marital union, 33.1 % resided in the municipal seat, and 42.7 % died at their residence. The suicide rate was 9.5 per 100,000 teenagers (9.4 in men and 9.5 in women). The 2003-2007 five-year period registered the highest rate with 12.7 suicides for every one hundred thousand teenagers. By provinces, the Eastern zone registered the highest risk with a rate of 12.8 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

Conclusions:

It is concluded that suicide in adolescents in Cauca presented high rates between 1998-2017 and that the risk was slightly higher in women than in men.

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