SUICIDE IN OLD-AGE - A TRAGEDY OF NEGLECT

Objective: To investigate the incidence and treatment of depression in geriatric suicide. Method: All coroners' records, autopsy and police reports for suicide victims aged 65+ in Ontario (n = 543) over 3 years were examined. Results: Over 80% of the elderly who committed suicide received no psychiatric referral. Of the sample, 87% were untreated w hile only 13% received antidepressants. Tricyclics, which are lethal i n overdose, were the drugs of choice. None of the sample was treated w ith the safer specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Females were 3 times as likely to be treated as were males, and those seeing p sychiatrists were 4 times more likely to be treated with antidepressan ts than those seeing general practitioners (GPs). The physically ill w ere rarely treated Conclusions: These findings suggest that early gero psychiatric assessment and vigorous treatment could prevent many suici des in old age.