Salib Emad, Rahim Sahar, El-Nimr George, Habeeb Bassem
5 Boroughs Partnership Trust, Hollins Park, Warrington WA2 8WA.
Med Sci Law. 2005 Jan;45(1):71-80. doi: 10.1258/rsmmsl.45.1.71.
Elderly suicide is an index of more widespread disorder and discontent among the elderly, and furthermore is a potentially preventable cause of death. This study used coroner's inquest records of 200 elderly in Cheshire who killed themselves, and in which their unexpected deaths attracted a verdict of suicide. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical aspects of the suicidal process and health care contact before death are reviewed. Unlike most available studies, cases of unexpected death in which an open verdict was given were not included in this study, which covered a 13 year period. The findings are interpreted and compared to the currently available literature on suicide in the elderly. Late life suicide is characterised by less warning, higher lethality and greater prevalence of depression and physical illness. However, suicide risk often remains undetected. All suicidal behaviour in the elderly should be taken seriously by psychiatric and primary care services, in order to reduce suicide rates in the elderly.
老年人自杀是老年人中更广泛的紊乱和不满情绪的一个指标，而且是一个潜在可预防的死亡原因。本研究使用了柴郡200名自杀老人的验尸官调查记录，这些老人的意外死亡被判定为自杀。回顾了社会人口学特征、自杀过程的临床方面以及死亡前的医疗接触情况。与大多数现有研究不同，本研究未纳入死因存疑的意外死亡病例，研究涵盖了13年的时间。对研究结果进行了解释，并与目前关于老年人自杀的文献进行了比较。晚年自杀的特点是预警较少、致死率较高以及抑郁症和身体疾病的患病率较高。然而，自杀风险往往仍未被发现。精神科和初级保健服务机构应认真对待老年人的所有自杀行为，以降低老年人的自杀率。
