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Elderly suicide in Hong Kong – a case‐controlled psychological autopsy study
Author(s) -
Chiu H. F. K.,
Yip P. S. F.,
Chi I.,
Chan S.,
Tsoh J.,
Kwan C. W.,
Li S. F.,
Conwell Y.,
Caine E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1600-0447.2003.00263.x
Subject(s) - psychiatry , depression (economics) , suicide prevention , medicine , poison control , suicide attempt , injury prevention , psychiatric history , population , suicide methods , psychology , medical emergency , suicide rates , anxiety , environmental health , economics , macroeconomics
Objective: To examine some of the risk factors for late life suicide in Hong Kong Chinese using a case‐controlled psychological autopsy approach. Method: Informants of 70 subjects aged 60 or above who had committed suicide as well as a community sample of 100 elderly controls were interviewed. Subjects and controls were assessed for the presence of mental illness, history of suicide attempt and data on health care utilization. Results: Eighty‐six per cent of suicide subjects suffered from a psychiatric problem before committing suicide, compared with 9% of control subjects. Among the psychiatric problems, major depression was the commonest diagnosis. Seventy‐seven per cent of suicide subjects had consulted a doctor within 1 month of suicide. One‐third of suicide subjects had a history of suicide attempt. Rates of current psychiatric diagnosis, rates of medical consultation and history of suicide attempt are all significantly higher in suicide subjects than controls. Conclusion: Our findings support the view that depressive disorders and a past history of suicide attempt are risk factors of late‐life suicide in the Chinese population of Hong Kong, similar to findings in western studies.