title: A preliminary cross-national study of a possible relationship between elderly suicide rates and tuberculosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The elderly are at high risk of developing tuberculosis. The prevalence and incidence of depression and anxiety are higher in those with tuberculosis than in the general population. A positive correlation between national suicide rates and rates of mortality due to tuberculosis has been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relationships between elderly suicide rates and (i) the prevalence of tuberculosis, (ii) the proportion of detected cases of tuberculosis, and (iii) the proportion of cured cases of tuberculosis were examined in a cross-national study using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant correlations between elderly suicide rates and the prevalence of tuberculosis and the proportion of detected cases of tuberculosis. There were weak but significant negative correlations between the proportion of cured cases of tuberculosis and suicide rates for both sexes in both elderly age-bands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caution should be exercised in interpreting the findings and the direction of the causal relationship from this cross-sectional ecological study because of ecological fallacy. However, if the findings are true then potentially the study has important implications for prevention of elderly suicides, particularly in countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK. ajit.shah@wlmht.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology