ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDES BY DRUG INGESTION IN THE ELDERLY

We studied 38 geriatric patients admitted to our observation ward afte r attempted suicide by drug ingestion. Age and sex distribution, socia l status time of attempt, drugs and therapeutic procedures were regist ered and compared to suicide attempts of other age groups (n = 231). O ur analysis showed that geriatric attempted suicides differed from tho se of other age groups by less exogenous influences, in motivation, me thods and therapeutic procedures. They may represent an own entity of disease nearer to suicide than to attempted suicide.