Citation

Dello Buono M, Darú E, Colucci E, Pavan L. Riv. Psichiatr. 2004; 39(5): 340-348.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Aim. The aim of this study was to attempt to assess age-related suicide risk through analysis of risk factors and sociodemographic variables drawn from a sample of 511 suicides aged between 18 and 96 years, who died in the city and province of Padua between 1990 and 1999.

METHOD. Thanks to an invaluable cooperation agreement with the Court of Padua, we were able to collect information from judicial files and integrate them with clinical variables.

RESULTS. Statistical analysis of the collected sociodemographic and clinical data, conducted in relation to age group, yielded various clusters of age-related predictors. While the most significant predictors for the youngest group included diagnosis of a personality disorders associated with male gender, in addition to a history of previous suicide attempts and substance abuse or dependency, at the opposite pole, the strongest predictors of elderly suicide were organic pathologies, male gender, and stressfull life events, in the presence of major depression. Besides somatic pathology or hypochondria, the predictive model for adults encompassed acute stressfull life events and the diagnosis of psychotic depression or primary psychosis, in addition to alcohol abuse, male gender and single, separated or widowed status. The emerging variables direct attention towards age-specific and "heavy" risk factors.

RESULTS suggest that preventive programmes must adopt multifactorial, ongoing approach for each age group and above all must treat mental disorders taking careful account of their particular characteristics.

Language: it

Keywords

adult; Prevention; human; age; suicide; female; male; aged; preventive medicine; Mental disorders; psychosis; stress; Italy; suicide attempt; major depression; risk factor; substance abuse; alcohol abuse; article; major clinical study; mental disease; personality disorder; statistical analysis; marriage; clinical feature; social aspect; demography; depressive psychosis; hypochondriasis; Age in life; life cycle; Suicide risk factors