Abstract

PAEZ, Gustavo. An Approach to the Study of Suicide in Venezuela. URVIO [online]. 2021, n.31, pp.90-108. ISSN 1390-4299.  https://doi.org/10.17141/urvio.31.2021.4649.

This research tries to deepen the knowledge of suicides in Venezuela, a country that experiences a deep humanitarian crisis, which has become worse since 2014. For this purpose, two approaches are proposed: a quantitative approach and a qualitative one. In the first one, numerical indicators are estimated in order to know, analyze and understand the incidence of the occurrence and frequency of suicides in the country. Through the second approach, interviews to relatives of victims of suicide and with professionals related to the topic are carried out. The results indicate that the suicide rate in Venezuela increased between 2015 and 2018, most probably as a consequence of the crisis the nation is going through. This conclusion is reinforced with the findings derived from the interviews from which it is deduced that the national context was present as an intervening risk factor and as a key explanatory component of the probable increase in suicide figures. The main conclusion is that the crisis could have acted as a triggering factor for an accumulation of negative feelings and thoughts, and for disorders of depression and anxiety, which, in turn, could have driven Venezuelans of different ages towards suicidal acts.

Keywords : crisis; disorders; emotions; suicide; Venezuela.

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