Elderly suicide rates: a replication of cross-national comparisons and association with sex and elderly age-bands using five year suicide data

Ajit Shah

doi:10.5249/jivr.v3i2.64

Abstract

:Background:Suicide rates generally increase with age. A recent cross-national study, using one-year cross-sectional data on suicide rates identified regional and cross-national patterns for elderly suicide rates. However, findings from studies using one-year cross-sectional data on suicide rates may be open to bias because of random year on year fluctuations in elderly suicide rates.Methods:One-year average of suicide rates for both sexes in the age-bands 65-74 and 75+ years were calculated from data on suicide rates for five consecutive years ascertained from the World Health Organization. Cross-national variations were examined by segregating different countries into four quartiles of suicide rates.Results:There was wide cross-national variation in elderly suicide rates. Elderly suicide rates were the lowest in Caribbean and Arabic/Islamic countries, and the highest in central and eastern European, countries emerging from the former Soviet Union, some oriental and some west European countries.Conclusions:The regional and cross-national patterns for elderly suicide rates observed in this study were almost identical to a similar earlier study using one-year cross-sectional data on suicide rates. This suggests that the findings of both studies were accurate and robust, and potential explanations for the observed cross-national variations in elderly suicide rates requires further study.

Highlights

I n developing and developed countries the proportion of the elderly in the general population is increasing.[1]Suicide rates generally increase with age.[2,3] Suicides are emotive, distressing to family and professionals, lead to loss of economic productivity and can lead to litigation
Comprehensive understanding of the substantial worldwide variation in population patterns of suicide may be critical in the understanding of potential distil risk and protective factors and for developing prevention programmes.[4]
Suicide rates for these countries were calculated by dividing the number of reported suicides by the population size in the relevant age-band and sex group available on the same website

Summary

Introduction

I n developing and developed countries the proportion of the elderly in the general population is increasing.[1]Suicide rates generally increase with age.[2,3] Suicides are emotive, distressing to family and professionals, lead to loss of economic productivity ( less likely in older people) and can lead to litigation. A recent cross-national study, using one-year cross-sectional data on suicide rates identified regional and cross-national patterns for elderly suicide rates. Findings from studies using one-year cross-sectional data on suicide rates may be open to bias because of random year on year fluctuations in elderly suicide rates. Conclusions: The regional and cross-national patterns for elderly suicide rates observed in this study were almost identical to a similar earlier study using one-year cross-sectional data on suicide rates. This suggests that the findings of both studies were accurate and robust, and potential explanations for the observed cross-national variations in elderly suicide rates requires further study

Methods

Results

Conclusion