Citation

Rifai AH, Mulsant BH, Sweet RA, Pasternak RE, Rosen J, Zubenko GS. Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry 1993; 1(2): 126-135.

Affiliation

Geriatric Health Services, Department of Psychiatry and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1097/00019442-199300120-00005

PMID

28531027

Abstract

The authors distinguish demographic and clinical characteristics of elderly suicide attempters admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit within 4 weeks of a suicide attempt. Of 560 patients admitted, 28 (5%) were recent attempters, 32 (6%) had a past history of suicide attempt, and 500 (89%) were nonattempters. Of the 28 recent attempters, 21 (75%) were diagnosed with a mood disorder, 4 (14%) with an organic mental disorder, and 3 (11%) with other mental disorders. Among the nonattempters, the distribution among the three diagnostic categories was 188 (38%), 251 (50%), and 61 (12%), respectively. Of 166 patients with a diagnosis of major depression, 18 (11%) were recent attempters, 14 (8%) were past attempters, and 134 (71%) were nonattempters. Recent attempts were significantly associated with alcohol abuse. This study confirms earlier reports of high rates of major depression in elderly attempters.

Copyright © 1993 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en