Abstract

Introduction: Suicidal ideation is a common risk factor associated with suicide and an important indicator for its prevention. The objective of this study is to describe the rate of emergency care for suicidal ideation in the population served in the Chilean public health network during the years 2020 to 2022. Methods: Descriptive study, based on records from the Department of Statistics and Health Information, of beneficiaries with emergency care for suicidal ideation. The rate of emergency care for suicidal ideation was estimated at the country and geographic region level, as well as with regards to the proportion of care by age group, type of health facility and month of occurrence. Pearson's Chi2 test was applied in STATA version 14. Results: There were 15,325 emergency visits for suicidal ideation in the period studied. In 2020, the rate was 0.03 × 10,000 and 5.8 × 10,000 in 2022, higher in the central zone. Care predominated in the 15 to 64 year-old group and in hospital settings (p < 0.001). Conclusions: An increase in the rate of emergency care for suicidal ideation is observed, with differences by age group and type of health facility. However, given the limited study time, these figures should be analyzed with caution.