Does adversity earlier in life affect elderly suicide rates? A cross-national study.

Background. Although life-long adversity has been suggested as a protective factor for elderly suicides, studies examining protective factors for elderly suicides are scarce. Methods. The relationship between elderly suicide rates and five proxy measures of adversity earlier in life was examined using data from the World Health Organisation and the United Nations data banks. Results. Suicide rates on univariate analysis, in males and females in both the elderly age-bands, were lower when the severity of adversity was higher for at least four of the five proxy measures of adversity earlier in life. However, on multiple regression analyses, the only independent predictor of elderly suicide rates in males in both the elderly age-bands and in females in the age-band 65-74 years was the proportion of elderly in the total population. Conclusions. The mechanism through which adversity early in life and the proportion of elderly in the general population affect elderly suicide rates requires formal testing in long-term within-country longitudinal studies where adversity early in life changes over time within a country.