scholarly journals Elderly suicides in Denizli, Turkey: a retrospective study from 2011 to 2020

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Volkan Zeybek ◽  
Hasan Yetiş ◽  
Abdülkadir İzci ◽  
Kemalettin Acar

Abstract Background Although suicide rates and methods used may vary according to society, gender, and age there are epidemiological studies reporting that suicide rates increase with advanced age in all societies, particularly accelerating after the age of 65 years. This study aimed to investigate the demographic data and suicide characteristics—such as the location and method, among others—of the elderly suicide deaths among forensic deaths between 2011 and 2020 in Denizli, Turkey. Results It was determined that elderly suicides constituted 13.8% of all suicides and increased gradually over the years during the 10-year period. The vast majority of cases were male (82%). It has been observed that hanging is the most frequently used method. It is also noteworthy that although firearm suicide among men was the second most common method, women do not choose this method at all. The majority of elderly suicides (88.5%) in Denizli occurred in the home and its annexes. Conclusions Suicide prevention programmes should promote the elderly to benefit widely from social and health services. Therefore, there is a need to include widespread home care services and firearms regulations in prevention programmes.

1990 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Cantor ◽  
Terry Lewin

Australia has a moderate overall suicide rate but an extremely high male firearm suicide rate. Using data covering the years 1961–1985, a series of multiple regression based analyses were performed. During this period, overall suicide rates fell but firearm suicides remained constant with a resulting increase in the proportion of suicides by firearms. There has been an increase in suicides in the young offset by a decline in the elderly. Young males showed the greatest proportional increase in the use of firearms. A limited regional analysis supported the hypothesis that lack of legislative restrictions on long guns in Queensland with a greater household prevalence of such weapons and different cultural attitudes were associated with higher overall and firearm suicide rates. Such findings are consistent with reports from North America, although trends in Australia are more modest. Reducing the availability and cultural acceptance of firearms is likely to decrease suicide rates, especially in males.


2013 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Teles Vieira ◽  
Norami de Moura Barros ◽  
Leonardo Caixeta ◽  
Sergio Machado ◽  
Adriana Cardoso Silva ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of dementia subtypes and to assess the socio-demographic data of patients attending the outpatient clinic of dementia at Hospital das Clínicas from January 2008 to December 2009, in the city of Goiânia-GO, Brazil. METHODS: Procedures provided for diagnosis included physical and neurological examination, laboratory tests, neuroimaging and DSM-IV. The functional capacity and level of cognitive deficit were assessed by Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (Pfeffer-FAQ) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), respectively. RESULTS: Eighty patients met the criteria for dementia. The mean age was 63.48 (± 16.85) years old, the schooling was 3.30 (± 3.59) years old, the MMSE was 13.89 (± 7.79) and Pfeffer 17.73 (± 9.76). The Vascular Dementia (VD; 17.5%) was the most frequent cause of dementia, followed by Lewy body dementia (LBD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (12.25%). CONCLUSION: Considering entire sample and only the elderly over 60 years, VD, AD and LBD are the most common subtypes observed at both groups. Further epidemiological studies are necessary to confirm such rates, which may have a considerable impact on the organization and planning of healthcare services in our country.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1197-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Tanuja Sinha ◽  
Rajeswari Makena

A recent cross-national study reported that elderly suicide rates in both sexes were significantly negatively correlated with household size and the percentage of extended households and positively correlated with the percentage of single-person households (Shah, 2009). Speculative explanations for these findings were based on cultural factors, including (i) a mismatch between the traditional dependence of elderly relatives on their children for emotional and financial support and their children's ability to provide this support (Yip et al., 1998, 2000; Liu et al., 2006); (ii) the unmet traditional expectation of the elderly person being able to live with their children or grandchildren (Yip et al., 2000; Liu et al., 2006); (iii) the effect on the elderly of their children's negative attitudes (Yip et al., 2000); (iv) the migration of children to urban areas or to other countries (Yip and Tan, 1998; Yip et al., 2000); and, (v) the number of available caregivers, household size and family size (Kua et al., 2003). Countries with larger household sizes and a greater number of extended households potentially have a greater number of people available within the household and within close geographical proximity who can contribute positively to these cultural issues, and this may ultimately lead to a reduction in elderly suicide rates – the “emotional proximity” explanation. However, there may also be other explanations for these findings (Shah, 2009). Having more people in a household implies that there are more people to identify suicidal ideation and support the suicidal individual in seeking approprate help. Also, in larger households elderly people are likely to be alone for shorter periods of time, which would reduce the opportunity to implement any suicidal plans. Both these possibilities form part of the “geographical proximity” explanation.


Author(s):  
Sandra J. Crowell ◽  
Kenneth Rockwood ◽  
Paul Stolee ◽  
Sharon K. Buehler ◽  
Bonnie M. James ◽  
...  

RÉSUMÉBut: Comparer au moyen d'un plan d'étude transversale les caractéristiques démographiques et fonctionnelles des utilisateurs âgés et des non-utilisateurs de services de soins à domicile dans les centres urbains de la Nouvelle-Écosse (n = 533) et de la Terre-Neuve (n = 449).Résultats: Plus de Néo-Écossais et Néo-Écossaises (24%) que de Terre-Neuviens et Terre-Neuviennes (11%) reçoivent des services de soins à domicile. Dans les deux provinces, la plupart des gens dépendants par rapport aux activités de la vie quotidienne (AVQ) ne reçoivent pas des services de soins à domicile, et la plupart des utilisateurs de soins à domicile n'ont pas de dépendence par rapport aux AVQ. À Terre-Neuve, la dépendence et la démence sont plus fréquentes chez les utilisateurs de soins à domicile, contrairement aux utilisateurs en Nouvelle-Écosse ou le fait d'avoir 85 ans ou plus, de ne pas avoir de soutien dans la même habitation, de ne pas être marié et d'être limité par rapport aux activitiés instrumentales de la vie quotidienne (ATVQ) a pour conséquence une augmentation importante de la probabilité d'utilisation de soins à domicile. À Terre-Neuve, la tendance à recourir à des soins à domicile est plus forte chez les gens ayant une dépendence par rapport aux AIVQ.Conclusions: Si les soins à domicile doivent se substituer à des soins en établissement, il faut être prêt à adapter à un nouveau type d'utilisateur les programmes existants de soins à domicile.


2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Lubbaba Lodhi

Suicide rates in the elderly have declined in many countries in recent years. This decline has been reported to be associated with increased prescribing of antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics and antimanic drugs and reduced prescribing of barbiturates, hypnotics and sedatives. This study examined the relationship between prescribing patterns of individual psychotropic drugs and suicide rates by specific methods of elderly suicides. There was a negative correlation between the prescription of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, antimanic drugs and non-opiate analgesics and a decline in elderly suicide rates due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances, hanging, strangulation and suffocation, drowning, firearms and explosives, and jumping from high places. There was a positive correlation between the prescription of barbiturates, hypnotics and sedatives and elderly suicide rates due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances, hanging, strangulation and suffocation, drowning, firearms and explosives, and jumping from high places. This study demonstrated that changes in prescribing patterns of individual psychotropic drugs do influence elderly suicide rates of the commonly used methods of suicide and suggest that this may be due to more accurate diagnostic-specific prescribing of psychotropic drugs.


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