Citation

De La Serna De Pedro I. Geriatrika 2004; 20(1): 26-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Suicide is the most tragic event in human life; it is a health problem all over the world and its prevention receives increasing attention. Older adults are the segment of population that has the highest suicide rates; they rise progressively with age being maximum betweeen 75 and 85 years. Its etiology is multifactorial; biological, psychological and social factors contribute to that increase suicide among elderly people. The risk factors to commit suicide are: living alone or poor social support, presence of psychiatric disorder especially depression and substance abuse, family conflicts, serious physical illness, institutionalization, increased disability in daily living and history of previous attempts. High percentage of older people who committed suicide had consulted a doctor in the month before death but few of them receive psychiatric diagnoses from their family physicians and fewer still were referred to psychiatrits. Recently, several dramatic cases of suicide-homicide or extended suicide have occurred in our country. Some suggestions are made to identify the risk factors, including socioeconomics, to prevent suicide in the elderly.

Language: es

Keywords

Prevention; disability; human; homicide; suicide; Suicide; preventive medicine; Elderly; family; depression; social support; suicide attempt; risk factor; review; substance abuse; mental disease; psychological aspect; socioeconomics; elderly care; Extended suicide; social aspect; Assisted suicide; daily life activity; institutionalization; Suicide-homicide