title: [A comparative study of suicide notes in over 65 years old patients (preliminary data)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine, in older suicide attempt inpatients, differences between leaving a suicide note and not leaving it as regards age, sex, marital status, religion, living alone, level of education, present psychiatric treatment, severity of suicidal attempt, previous suicidal arousal, afterwards suicidal arousal, suicidal ideation, hopelessness, depression, dementia, narcissistic personality disorder, physical pain, previous suicide attempt, familiar history of suicide or suicide attempt.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a comparative, prospective, observational, transversal, single blind study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 31 patients. Statistical significant associations were found between leaving a suicide note and hopelessness (p=0.03;OR=8.57;IC=1.19-95.33) and severe suicide attempt (p=0.022;OR=8.40;IC=1.28-63.88).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although associations between writing suicide notes and hopelessness have not been reported, our results are not surprising because, on one side, the severity of the suicide attempt is more related to hopelessness than to any other depressive parameter and, on the other side, leaving a suicide note is associated to severe suicide attempts. Finally, to feel hopeless and to leave a suicide note are associated to severe suicide attempts.
authors.affiliation: Sector Interconsultas, Servicio de Psiquitría, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dabi
authors.forename: María Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vairo
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matusevich
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finkelsztein
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faccioli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data