SUICIDE IN BRAZIL IN 2024: SUICIDOGENIC CURRENTS AND DURKHEIM’S TYPOLOGY BASED ON EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA

Abstract

This article aims to provide a sociological diagnosis of suicide in Brazil in 2024 through Émile Durkheim’s theoretical framework, emphasizing “suicidogenic currents” and his fourfold typology (egoistic, altruistic, anomic, and fatalistic). It is a reflective paper with an empirical-descriptive basis, grounded in secondary data from Brazil’s Mortality Information System (SIM/DATASUS), considering deaths due to intentional self-harm (ICD-10: X60–X84). The analysis described the distribution of deaths by sex, age group, and marital status, linking the observed patterns to Durkheim’s etiological interpretation. In 2024, 16,751 suicide deaths were recorded, with a marked predominance among males (13,047) and concentration in economically active ages (20–49 years). Higher frequency was observed among single individuals (9,016), alongside a relevant number among those legally separated (1,330), suggesting vulnerabilities related to insufficient social integration and processes of deregulation, particularly in marital transitions. The findings reinforce the usefulness of Durkheim’s framework for understanding collective regularities in suicide, indicating that prevention strategies should combine clinical care with collective actions to strengthen social bonds and promote fairer social regulation.