Elderly suicide in Finland

Suicide mortality among the elderly is high in most Western countries. We i nvestigated the characteristics of suicide victims 65 years or older in a n ationwide psychological autopsy study, the research phase of the National S uicide Prevention Project in Finland. This study population included all co mpleted suicides (N = 1,397 of whom 211 were 65 years or older) that occurr ed in Finland during a 12-month research period in 1987-1988. The elderly s uicide victims were found to have used violent suicide methods more often t han the young. Although almost 70% of the elderly persons who had committed suicide had been in contact with health care services during the month bef ore their death, their suicidal intentions were rarely communicated in thes e contacts. They had been referred to psychiatric services less often than the young, and only 8% had received adequate antidepressive medication. The fact that most elderly suicides have contact with health care services dur ing their final month suggests a potential for suicide prevention. However, the major obstacle to this is the poor recognition of mental disorders and suicidal ideation among the elderly.