[Cause and incidence of suicides and attempted suicides by patients over 65 years old in psychiatric hospitals (author's transl)].

Case reports of 184 suicides and attempted suicides in the six hospitals of the Landschaftsverband Rheinland from 1964-1974 were analyzed. 25 patients were over 65 years old. The combination of almost 30 variables revealed no significant constellation caused by old age. Furthermore no criterias could be found to assess increased suicidal tendency of hospitalized patients. Two conclusions are of importance. 1. The risk of suicides in hospitals does not increase by loosening of restrictions and open environment. 2. The concept of hospital suicide should include the time after being discharged and enlarge on other institutions which are involved in the psychiatric care system. A center of crisis intervention is disucssed which offers its services to different institutions for the purpose of suicide prophylaxis.