Citation

Miklavcic IV, Pregelj P. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 155.

Affiliation

University Psychiatric Hospital, Studenec 48, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia. (peter.pregelj@psih-klinika.si)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964171

Abstract

Introduction: In Slovenia the proportion of elderly people rises in the same way as other European countries. There were 13, 6% persons older than 65 years in 1999, and it is assumed that the proportion of elderly will be 15% in 2009. Slovenia is one of the countries with a high suicide rate. Nowadays the suicide rate is around 26 in the group of persons under 65 years, while in the group over 65 years the suicide rate is 48. The objective of the study was to investigate the difference in suicidal behaviour, and diagnoses between two age groups of patients in Urgent Psychiatry Outpatients Department (UPOD) at University Psychiatric Hospital of Ljubljana. Method: UPOD visited 2760 patients during the years 2004 and 2005. 378 patients were older than 65 years and 2382 were younger. To evaluate differences between two age groups chi-square test and t-test were used. Results: Patients older than 65 years suffered from organic mental disorders (F00-09, 39%) most often, while patients younger than 65 years suffered from mood disorders (F30-39, 26%) and anxiety disorders (F40-49, 40%) more often than others. The chi-square test demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of suicidal thoughts (chi=4,5, df=1, p<0,05) and suicidal attempts (chi=7,5, df=1, p<0,01) between the two age groups. Suicidal thoughts occurred in 11% of patients over 65 years (others 15%), suicidal attempts occurred in 7 patients over 65 years (1,8%) and 120 patients under 65 years (5%). Discussion: Patients older than 65 years who visited UPOD rarely show suicidal behaviour in spite of the higher reported suicidal rate in elderly. Suicidal behaviour in elderly more often ended with fatal outcome because of other medical factors that are present in elderly.

Language: en