Key Points

Reported Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Attempts (Public Health France Barometer 2024 – Ages 18–79)

• In 2024, nearly 7% of adults aged 18 to 79 living in French Guiana reported having had suicidal thoughts in the 12 months preceding the survey (close to the national prevalence of 5%), 6% reported having attempted suicide at some point in their lives, and less than 1% reported having attempted suicide in the past 12 months.

Emergency department visits for self-harm (OSCOUR® 2024 – all ages)

• In 2024, 208 emergency department visits for self-harm were recorded in French Guiana, representing 2.6‰ of emergency department activity, a decrease compared to 2023 (-29%).

• Nearly two out of three emergency department visits for self-harm involved women (61%).

• More than one-third of emergency department visits for self-harm (35%) were followed by hospitalization.

Hospitalizations for self-harm (SNDS PMSI-MCO 2024 – all ages)

• 172 hospitalizations for self-harm were recorded in 2024 in the region, a figure that has remained stable compared to recent years (an average of 180 annual hospitalizations between 2019 and 2023). This figure corresponded to a standardized rate of 54 hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants, lower than the national level (142 hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants).

• Women accounted for the majority (65% of hospitalizations due to self-harm), and among them, those aged 11–17 and 18–24 were the most affected. Among men, those aged 18–24 had the highest hospitalization rates.

• Intentional medication overdose was the most common method (54% of hospitalizations for self-harm), regardless of gender.

Deaths by Suicide (SNDS CépiDc 2023 – all ages)

• In 2023, 26 suicide deaths were recorded in French Guiana, representing a standardized rate of 10 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, which remained stable compared to 2022.

• In French Guiana, 4 out of 5 suicide deaths involved men (81%), a proportion close to the national level (75%).

• The most frequently recorded method of suicide on death certificates was hanging (75%), regardless of gender.