Intentional self-harm has risen alarmingly among young Brazilians over the past decade.
📊 A study analyzed national data from 2014 to 2023 and shows that rates among people aged 18 to 30 increased by 638% in Brazil, with even higher growth in some regions, reaching 969% in the Midwest.
The results reveal striking inequalities: women had higher rates than men, and people of mixed-race background experienced the sharpest increase over the period. When analyzing the intersections between race/skin color and gender, the study shows that white women maintained the highest national rates, while mixed-race women recorded the highest growth (914%).
Regional differences also stand out. In the North, Northeast, and Midwest, brown women had the highest rates, while in the South and Southeast, white women predominate. These results indicate that social, racial, gender, and health care access factors combine to produce specific vulnerabilities.
📍Check it out: https://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/ojs/index.php/csp/article/view/10078