Fact check: Depression and Suicide rates in Uruguay are very high

1. Summary of the results

The analyses strongly confirm that depression and suicide rates in Uruguay are indeed very high. Multiple sources provide compelling evidence supporting this claim:

• Uruguay has a suicide rate of 23 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is more than double the regional average ^[1]
• The country experienced 823 suicides in 2022, with suicide rates having risen by 40% over the last 15 years ^[2]
• 17% of people who commit suicide in Uruguay are adolescents, indicating a particularly concerning trend among young people ^[2]
• The age-standardized suicide attempt rate is 140.44 per 100,000 inhabitants, with women accounting for 71.6% of cases ^[3]
• Uruguay has an age-standardised mortality rate of 19.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023 ^[3]

The data reveals that self-poisoning by drugs or medicines is the most common method of suicide attempt ^[3], and research has identified key psychological factors including loneliness, loss of interest, and loss of meaning for life as prevalent among older adults contemplating suicide ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several important contextual elements that emerge from the analyses:

• Uruguay is paradoxically described as "the happiest country in South America" despite having record suicide rates, creating a complex contradiction that deserves explanation ^[1]
• The statement doesn't specify that women are disproportionately affected, representing 71.6% of suicide attempt cases ^[3]
• Missing is the fact that Uruguay has developed sophisticated surveillance systems, including a national real-time surveillance system for suicide attempts implemented across all emergency departments ^[5]
• The analyses reveal that social connectedness is a key factor in reducing suicide risk, particularly among older adults ^[4]
• There's evidence of targeted interventions being developed, such as online mindfulness-based stress reduction programs for health workers that showed significant reduction in stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic ^[6]

Mental health professionals and pharmaceutical companies would benefit from highlighting Uruguay's high rates to justify increased funding for mental health services and treatments, while government officials might benefit from emphasizing their surveillance and intervention efforts to demonstrate proactive policy responses.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement, while factually accurate, presents potential bias through oversimplification:

• It fails to acknowledge that Uruguay has implemented comprehensive surveillance and intervention systems, which could mislead readers into thinking the country is ignoring the problem ^[5]
• The statement doesn't mention the paradoxical nature of high suicide rates in what's considered the happiest South American country, which could lead to incomplete understanding of the complex factors involved ^[1]
• By not specifying demographic breakdowns, it obscures the fact that specific populations (women, adolescents, older adults) are disproportionately affected, which is crucial for understanding targeted intervention needs ^{[3] [2] [4]}

The statement appears to present the situation as static rather than acknowledging both the 40% increase over 15 years and the active governmental and medical responses being implemented to address the crisis ^{[2] [6] [5]}.