Observational Study of Elderly Suicidal Deaths

Abstract

Suicide is a self-planed and deliberate termination of one’s own life. Painful experiences suffered during their lifelead to varying degrees of depersonalization and alienation. In the course of defending themselves from onslaughtof negative stimuli, elderly people establish a desire for hastened death. An Observational study of suicides amongelderly age group ≥60 years was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, OsmaniaMedical College and General Hospital, Hyderabad during the period of 2016 to 2020.Police inquests, hospitalrecords, toxicological reports and suicide letters were collected and studied.The total elderly suicidal deathsduring the period of 5 years were 257, more common among 60-64 years aged people. Educated, middle class,joint family and different categories of professional background with physical ailments were common factors inthe study. The methods used for suicide ranged from poisoning, hanging, burns to fall from height. The resultswere analysed and compared with previous research studies and this study matched with results of several otherstudies. This is possibly due to beginning of dependency and stressful life following their retirements. Suicideis the 3rdleading unnatural cause of death among elderly which is not an impulsive act.Intervention in the agedsuicide will be a complex task and should involve changes at different levels of the current aged care system.