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Psychogeriatric inpatient suicides in Australia
1University of Melbourne, Australia.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Elderly psychiatric inpatients rarely die by suicide, but when they do, depression and suicidal thoughts are key risk factors. Vigilance for these signs in older patients is crucial.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Suicidology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Psychiatric inpatients exhibit higher suicide rates than the general population.
- Suicide risk among elderly individuals within psychiatric settings requires specific investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine suicide rates and characteristics of psychogeriatric inpatients over a 21-year period.
- To identify factors differentiating psychogeriatric suicides from younger inpatients and living psychogeriatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of inpatient suicides over 21 years at a large psychiatric hospital.
- Comparison of psychogeriatric suicides with younger inpatient suicides and living psychogeriatric patients.
Main Results:
- Only 8% of all inpatient suicides were by individuals over 60 years old.
- Psychogeriatric suicides were more associated with depression, fewer with schizophrenia, more children, and longer illness onset to admission intervals compared to younger inpatients.
- Depression, alcohol misuse, and suicidal ideation (pre- and intra-admission) were associated with psychogeriatric suicides compared to living psychogeriatric patients.
Conclusions:
- Suicide in psychogeriatric inpatients, while less common, is linked to specific clinical features.
- Increased staff vigilance for depression, alcohol misuse, and suicidal ideation in elderly psychiatric patients is recommended.