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Suicide attempts in elderly psychiatric inpatients
J M Lyness1, Y Conwell, J C Nelson
1UR-NIMH Clinical Research Center for the Study of Psychopathology of the Elderly, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|April 1, 1992
Summary
Elderly suicide attempts are strongly linked to major depressive syndrome, particularly late-onset depression. Other diagnoses like substance abuse and dementia were uncommon in this patient group.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Psychopathology
- Suicidology
Background:
- Suicide remains a significant concern in the elderly population.
- Understanding the psychopathological factors associated with suicide attempts in older adults is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the psychopathological features of elderly individuals who attempted suicide.
- To identify demographic, clinical, and functional correlates of suicide attempts in older psychiatric inpatients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 168 patients aged 60 and over admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit.
- Analysis of 25 patients who made suicide attempts, comparing them with the general elderly cohort.
Main Results:
- Eighty percent of elderly suicide attempters presented with a major depressive syndrome.
- A significant association was found between suicide attempts and later age of onset in patients with affective disorders.
- Substance abuse and dementia were infrequent diagnoses among attempters.
Conclusions:
- Late-onset major depression is a primary risk factor for suicide attempts in the elderly.
- Affective illness is the predominant psychopathological characteristic linked to suicide attempts in this age group.