Citation

Chiu HF, Lam LC, Pang AH, Leung CM, Wong CK. Gen. Hosp. Psychiatry 1996; 18(6): 444-447.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8937913

Abstract

There is little information on attempted suicide in the elderly, especially among Chinese populations. Fifty-five elderly with suicidal attempts seen in a psychiatric unit in Hong Kong over a 2 1/2 year period were studied. The risk of suicidal attempt remained high after age 75 and only declined after 85. In contrast to western societies, self-injury was more common than self-poisoning. About half of the patients suffered from a mood disorder but very few had dementia. At follow-up 1 1/2-4 years after the suicidal attempt, the rate of repetition was 3.6% and the rate of completed suicide was 5.5%.

Language: en