DESIGUALDAD REGIONAL DE LA EVOLUCIÓN HISTÓRICA DEL SUICIDIO EN CHILE, 1921-2021

The article analyses the historical evolution of the suicide rate in Chile, taking it as a proxy for mental health, and in general as an important indicator of population health, for 1921-2021. This is done at a regional level, which allows us to contribute to studies on geographical inequality in Chilean well-being, for a key dimension of it: mental health. The article reports significant regional variations in the suicide rate in Chile between the 1920s and the 2010s, which reveal a serious problem: the persistence of regional inequalities in mental health in Chile. Part of these differences between regions can be explained by differences in the sex ratios between these areas, as well as by the dissimilar profile of their population pyramids. However, not all differences in regional suicide rates can be attributed to these variables: other macro-contextual determinants are also relevant, such as differences in the poverty rate, and other social and cultural variables.