[Age as a suicide risk factor].
The aim of the paper was to determine the influence of age in suicidal occurrence and behavior. The subjects were the individuals who attempted or committed suicide in the city of Kragujevac during the observed period. We used the data from the Police of Serbia (Kragujevac) obtained at the scene of suicide, medical records, and data from the Psychiatry Center of the Clinical Center "Kragujevac". The data were collected and statistically evaluated by SPSS for Windows, and the significance was determined by chi 2 and t-test, and expressed as a rate per 100,000 inhabitants. The greatest suicide rates were recorded in the groups of > or = 65 years old (27.3 per 100,000 inhabitants) and 45-54 years old (27.2 per 100,000 inhabitants). The group of individuals > or = 45 years old was almost twice as inclined to suicide compared to the other except, while the youngest age group that showed almost equal numbers. There were more attempts (65.6%) within the group of 25-34 years old individuals (the same was true for the group of 35-44 years old individuals). No differences were observed between the indigenes and the migrants among older suicides (> or = 55 years old). The most affected were the migrant 25-34 and 45-54 years old, and the indigenes 25-34 and 35-44 years old. Number of suicides decreased, showsed stagnation, or reached the plateau in all age groups (mostly), except for those 15-24 years old, during the period of observation the (1991-1995). The lowest figure (9.1%) was found in 1992, and than it increased and reached 39.4% in 1995. Furthermore, unemployed individuals 55-64 and 15-24 years old and the employed 25-34 years old were considerably affected. In younger individuals, the motive--cause was unrequited love, family conflicts, abstinencial crisis, etc. In those a little older (24-34 years old) it was represented by family problems and illness (27.3%); this was also true for the others.
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Milić
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology