Portugal consistently presents lower suicide rates when compared with other non-Mediterranean European countries (< 10 suicides/100000 habitants). During the 90's the average annual incidence of suicidal behavior (SB) was 20 times greater than completed suicide.

Since this is a common cause of admission to the emergency room (ER) and given that it has a major impact on society and patient's health, it's important to recognize specific groups of patients at risk.

Study SB prevalence and the characteristics of those patients admitted to the psychiatric ER at Coimbra University Hospitals (HUC).

We retrospectively analyzed clinical files relative to patients admitted to the psychiatric emergency between January and June 2010 and explored data concerning those who presented some form of SB.

SB was present in 12,12% of the 4537 patients who were admitted to the psychiatric emergency at HUC, during the first 6 months of 2010. 74% were female. The mean age was 38 (min 13, max 90 years). There were considerable differences between men and women in some socio-demographic variables, such as marital status and profession. There were also differences concerning the diagnoses. While adjustment and depressive disorders were the most common diagnoses in both sexes, alcohol and drug dependence were an important co-morbidity in man with SB.

There are important subgroups of patients in risk of SB, namely women and alcoholic and drug dependent males. It is important to target these subgroups in order to establish adequate preventing measures.