Psychogeriatric inpatient suicides in Australia

Psychiatric inpatients have a higher suicide rate than the general population. Psychogeriatric inpatients suicides over a 21-year period, in a large psychiatric hospital in Melbourne were examined. Only 8% of all inpatient suicides were by those aged over 60 years. Psychogeriatric inpatients suicides, when compared to younger inpatient suicides, were more likely to have depression, less likely to have schizophrenia, have more children and have a longer interval between the age of onset of the illness and the index admission. These associations were probably a function of age. Psychogeriatric inpatient suicides, when compared with psychogeriatric 'alive' inpatients, were associated with depression, alcohol misuse and preadmission and intra-admission suicidal ideation. A high index of suspicion and vigilance among staff for elderly patients with these features is suggested.