Characteristics of suicides of young people in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, from 2010 to 2016.

The purpose of this study was to describe demographic, toxicological, criminal, and medicolegal characteristics of suicides of young people aged up to 24 years examined by the Porto Alegre Medicolegal Office, from 2010 to 2016. This cross-sectional study collected data from the Porto Alegre Medicolegal Office and the Rio Grande do Sul State Police Department. The information was obtained from death certificates, toxicological analyses and police reports. Rates were calculated according to sex and age range (under 15 years old, 15 to 19 years old, and 20 to 24 years old) for comparing local with national data. There were 143 people who died by suicide in the period, 120 males and 23 females. Hanging was the most frequently used method, but in the range of 10 to 14 years old, firearm use was the predominant method. Fifty percent of male victims and 30% of female victims had some criminal history. Suicide rates in the study groups generally followed national trends. The relative frequency of suicide by firearm in this study diverged from international findings, as it was relatively more frequent in children under 15 years old and less frequent in older ranges. If confirmed, the finding draws attention to access to firearms in this age range. In older age ranges, adolescents and young adults were frequently involved in the criminal system. This finding may be useful for planning interventions involving both mental health education and screening for problems that may be associated with criminal involvement.

Association between different types of childhood trauma and parental bonding with antisocial traits in adulthood: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: ASPD describes individuals with a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood. The relationship between parental bonding, trauma, and ASPD is well established, however, it remains unclear what types of trauma or which patterns of bonding are more associated with ASPD. OBJECTIVES: Review the literature regarding what types of trauma and bonding characteristics were related to antisocial personality traits. METHOD: Systematic searches of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scielo for studies about the relationship between antisocial personality traits and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and/or the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). RESULTS: 357 abstracts were selected, and 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Regarding CTQ, the most consistent finding was the association between physical abuse and neglect to antisocial traits. Sexual abuse was the variable least related to antisocial traits. Regarding PBI, the most consistent finding was the inverse relationship between maternal and paternal care and antisocial traits. Concerning overprotection, the data is less consistent. Also, there was a considerable heterogenity between studies. CONCLUSIONS: The literature little explores how these variables interact with each other. Thus, more studies are important to aidpolitical,educational, and public health programs to create preventive initiatives for ASPD.