[Suicide attempts in elderly people. Data from the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires].
OBJECTIVE
[corrected] The aim of this paper is to analyze some characteristics of 25 patients, over 60, who attempted suicide and were hospitalized in the Department of Psychiatry of a general hospital in Buenos Aires.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study using data from the medical records of patients (1999 to 2002); based on a protocol comprising an analysis of attempted suicides, demographic and clinical variables. Patients were diagnosed following the DSM-IV criteria by two trained GPs and were confirmed by MMPI and Rorschach.


RESULTS
72% were women. The average age was 73,8 % were divorced, 20% never married, 32% widowed and 32% married. The most frequent diagnosis was Major Depressive Disorder of late onset followed by Personality Disorder ( 96%; 48%). The most frequent method was intoxication, (68.75% BDZ). Almost half of the attempts were highly severe.


CONCLUSIONS
We may infer that the elderly person who attempts suicide: is female, 68-78 years old, does not have a partner, lives with someone, has Major Depressive Disorder (at least half of them had Personality Disorder) and a clinical disease. This is her first attempt, is alone at home, and she does not advise others. Reduced hearing is a very frequent co-morbidity.
Matusevich
Daniel
D
Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Finkelsztein
Carlos
C
Dabi
Eugenia
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*