Age Differences in Behaviors Leading to Completed Suicide

The authors described retrospectively the premorbid self-destructive behaviors of suicide victims to determine whether these behaviors differ with age. One hundred forty-one suicide victims, age 21–92 years, were studied by psychological autopsy. Older age was significantly associated with more dete...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of geriatric psychiatry 1998, Vol.6 (2), p.122-126
Main Authors: Conwell, Yeates, Duberstein, Paul R., Cox, Christopher, Herrmann, John, Forbes, Nicholas, Caine, Eric D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Distribution
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Self-Injurious Behavior - psychology
Suicide - statistics & numerical data
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Summary:The authors described retrospectively the premorbid self-destructive behaviors of suicide victims to determine whether these behaviors differ with age. One hundred forty-one suicide victims, age 21–92 years, were studied by psychological autopsy. Older age was significantly associated with more determined and planful self-destructive acts, less violent methods, and fewer warnings of suicidal intent. Age differences in the behaviors leading to suicide indicate that intervention in the midst of a suicidal crisis may be less effective in elderly persons than in younger people. Primary prevention should be the focus of efforts to decrease suicide rates in late life.
ISSN:1064-7481
1545-7214
DOI:10.1097/00019442-199805000-00005