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Attempted Suicide Among the Aged
Author(s) -
Sendbuehler J. M.,
Goldstein S.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1977.tb00408.x
Subject(s) - medicine , suicide prevention , population , poison control , injury prevention , suicide rates , psychiatry , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , suicide attempt , gerontology , medical emergency , environmental health , pathology
Although the rate for suicide in old age is high, the rate for attempted (unsuccessful) suicide is low. Among the elderly, suicide‐attempt groups have more physical disorders, more psychoses, and more psychopathologic findings, and are under‐represented demographically. Fifty percent of the elderly suicide attempters have organic brain syndrome (OBS), compared to only 5–10 percent of the “normal” population over age 60. Among what might be expected to be a high‐risk suicide population, OBS apparently interferes with the success of suicide attempts by impairing coordination, planning, determination, and awareness of reality.