Suicide in Old Age

[Suicide and suicide attempts in old age].

Old age rational suicide

Sociology Compass. 2017;11:e12456. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12456 Abstract In the societal debate surrounding voluntary euthanasia or physician‐assisted suicide, there is a concern that older people will be left exposed to any legislation, subject to either faint suggestion or outright coercion from familial or professional carers. Whilst it is critical to take account of older people’s pot...

Qualitative and Quantitative Methods of Suicide Research in Old Age

This paper examines the merits of the qualitative and quantitative methods of suicide research in the elderly using two studies identified through a free search of the Pubmed database for articles that might have direct bearing on suicidality in the elderly. The studies have been purposively selected for critical appraisal because they meaningfully reflect the quantitative and qualitative divid...

Differences in suicide between the old and the oldest old.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of our study is to examine suicide trends among the old (65-79 years) and oldest old (80+ years). METHODS All persons aged 50 or older who committed suicide in Denmark during 1972-1998 are included in the analysis. Suicide trends are analyzed by sex, age, civil status, and methods. Age, period, and cohort effects are examined graphically. RESULTS In all, 17,729 person...

Lethal forethought: delayed reward discounting differentiates high- and low-lethality suicide attempts in old age.

BACKGROUND The decision to commit suicide may be impulsive, but lethal suicidal acts often involve planning and forethought. People who attempt suicide make disadvantageous decisions in other contexts, but nothing is known about the way they decide about the future. Can the willingness to postpone future gratification differentiate between individuals prone to serious, premeditated and less ser...