Suicidio en adultos mayores en Latinoamérica: una revisión narrativa de un reto para la salud pública
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El suicidio en adultos mayores representa un problema de salud pública persistente y creciente en Latinoamérica, en un contexto de envejecimiento poblacional acelerado y de profundas desigualdades sociales. En la región, las tasas más elevadas se concentran en hombres de edad avanzada, con predominio de métodos altamente letales y una marcada brecha territorial entre zonas urbanas y rurales. Este artículo analiza críticamente el panorama epidemiológico del suicidio en la vejez latinoamericana, así como los determinantes estructurales, territoriales y psicosociales que configuran el riesgo en este grupo etario. Se examinan las tendencias nacionales y regionales, el impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19, la relevancia de la depresión no tratada, el aislamiento social y el acceso a medios letales, incluidos los psicofármacos y las sustancias tóxicas. Asimismo, se discuten las limitaciones de las estrategias preventivas implementadas en la región, caracterizadas por un énfasis en campañas poblacionales generales y por una escasa evaluación de intervenciones específicas dirigidas a personas mayores. Finalmente, se plantean desafíos estratégicos para el diseño de políticas públicas diferenciadas, culturalmente pertinentes y orientadas a fortalecer la detección temprana, la restricción de los medios letales y la articulación comunitaria en la prevención del suicidio en la vejez.
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