| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| A study of suicides of older people in Sydney | | Author(s) | John Snowdon, Pierre Baume |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 17, no 3, March 2002 |
| Pages | pp 261-269 |
| Keywords | Suicide ; Depression ; Death ; Longitudinal surveys ; Australia. |
| Annotation | A coroner's office in Sydney provided data concerning suicides of over 65s for 1994 to 1998. Of 210 older people who killed themselves, 160 (76%) were clearly depressed, including most of the 24% deemed to have understandable reasons for suicide. Physical ill health or disability was the major factor leading to suicide in 34%, and appeared to contribute to suicidal ideation in another 24% of those who died; they had usually not been seen by a psychiatrist. Because depression is often treatable - even when associated with depressing circumstances - there is potential for further reduction of old age suicide rates by recognising and appropriately responding to symptoms of depression and distress. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-020327213 A |
| Classmark | EV: ENR: CW: 3J: 7YA |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|