Suicide Means Used by the Older Adults in Rural China: A Comparison Between Those Using Pesticides and Other Means.

BACKGROUND

The most frequently used means of committing suicide was pesticide poisoning in rural China, yet little is known about the characteristics and risk factors for suicides committed with pesticides compared to those committed via other means in older adults.

METHODS

The participants were 242 older adults (aged 60 or older) who had committed suicide in the rural areas of 3 provinces (Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi) in China. This study was conducted using the psychological autopsy (PA) method.

RESULTS

In univariate analyses, no statistically significant differences were found between those who committed suicide with pesticide or with other means in terms of demographic and clinical variables except age, prevalence of mental disorders, suicidal intent, number of recent life events, social support, hopelessness, impulsivity, and depressive symptoms ( > .05); age, history of suicide attempts, having pesticides available at home, the total number of life events, and the number of long-term life events were significantly different ( < .05) between the 2 groups. In multivariate logistic regression model, the factors associated with committing suicide with pesticides were the availability of pesticides at home (odds ratio [OR] = 3.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.99-6.08) and the number of long-term life events (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.97).

CONCLUSION

The older adults who committed suicide by pesticides and those using other means are probably the same population. The main determinant of choosing pesticides as suicide means was likely the availability of pesticides at home. Suicide risk among older adults might be reduced by placing appropriate restrictions on access to pesticides.