Key Points

Suicide mortality rates and hospitalization rates for suicide attempts in French Guiana are among the lowest in France, more than 20% lower than the national rates

• Suicide mortality rate of 8.6 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants (versus 15.6 nationally) in 2015 and hospitalization rate for suicide attempts of 37.1 per 100,000 inhabitants (versus 148 per 100,000) in 2017.

• However, the annual suicide mortality rate is on the rise, increasing from 5.9 in 2001 to 8.6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, contrary to trends observed nationally and in the Antilles.

• From 2013 to 2015, suicides accounted for 2.5% of all-cause deaths, compared to 1.6% nationally.

• Unlike the national average and other French overseas departments, suicides in French Guiana affect young people more and have a higher fatality rate than in mainland France in cases of hospitalization.

Regional disparities between coastal and inland municipalities

• The suicide rate was four times higher in inland municipalities than on the coast (15 versus 4 per 100,000).

An innovative initiative: the BEPI program: “Well-being of the populations of French Guiana’s interior”

• A program promoting health and community interventions to improve the well-being of the inland populations of French Guiana by strengthening protective factors against suicidal behavior.

Establishment of a Suicide Prevention Resource Center (CRPS)

• This center, which coordinates networks, focuses on four strategic areas: Regional Suicide Observatory, Training and Information, VigilanS System, and Mobile Crisis Intervention Team.