Citation

Sveticic J, Marusic A. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 67.

Affiliation

Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Trubarjeva 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia. jerneja.sveticic@ivz-rs.si.

Copyright

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

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963966

Abstract

Background: Several studies so far have studied characteristics of the elderly suicide, but only few have investigated differences between the old and the very old. Objectives: To perform an independent comparison of suicide characteristics in the old and the very old age group in Slovenia. Method: All 970 elderly suicides in Slovenia in the period 1997-2003 were divided into two age groups (65-74; 75 and more) and compared. Results: Higher suicide rate has been found in the very old group (48 vs. 53), particularly so in men (87 vs. 116). Differences in gender specific suicide rates are very similar in both age groups. Interestingly, suicide rate for single and widowed gets lower in the very old. On the other hand, it increases with age for married and divorced. In the old more suicides occurred during spring, while among the very old in the fall. In women hanging is significantly higher in the very old. Conclusions: Cohort effects may underlie some of the obtained differences. Future suicide prevention in the elderly, especially in Slovenia with the highest elderly suicide rate in Europe, should take into account specific characteristics of the old and the very old, focusing on the most vulnerable groups.

Language: en