Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 3 of 3
Elderly suicide attempters with depression are often diagnosed only after the attempt
- Authors:
- SUOMINEN Kirsi, ISOMETSA Erkki, LONNQVIST Jouko
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(1), January 2004, pp.35-40.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
No previous study has comprehensively investigated the pattern of health care contacts among elderly subjects attempting suicide. The present study compared elderly suicide attempters with younger attempters, before and after attempted suicide, in terms of health care contacts, clinical diagnoses of mental disorders, and characteristics predicting lack of treatment contact after the index attempt. All consecutive 1198 suicide attempters treated in hospital emergency rooms in Helsinki, Finland, from 15.1.1997 to 14.1.1998 were identified and divided into two age groups: (1) elderly suicide attempters aged 60 years or more (n = 81) and (2) suicide attempters aged under 60 years (n = 1117). During the final 12 months before the attempt, the majority of elderly suicide attempters had a contact with primary health care, but their mood disorders were likely to have remained undiagnosed before the index attempt. In primary health care, only 4% had been diagnosed with a mood disorder before the attempt, but 57% after (p < 0.001). After the suicide attempt, most elderly suicide attempters were referred for aftercare, two thirds having contact with psychiatric care. For purposes of preventing suicidal behaviour, screening for depression, plus further education on recognition, diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders among the elderly in primary health care setting are needed.
Nursing home suicides: a psychological autopsy study
- Authors:
- SOUMINEN Kirsi, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 18(12), December 2003, pp.1095-1101.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Older adults comprise a fifth of all suicides. Elders are the fastest growing part of the population, thus the number of persons needing nursing home care will increase dramatically in the near future. Little information has been available about suicides in nursing homes. The present study described all suicides among older adults in nursing homes in Finland during a 12-month period emphasizing the factors that have been found to be associated with suicide in the general elderly population. Drawing on data from a psychological autopsy study of all suicides (n=1397) in Finland during one year, all suicides committed by patients in nursing homes were identified. Retrospective DSM-IV consensus diagnoses were assigned. Twelve elderly (aged 60 years or more) nursing home residents who died by suicide, 0.9% of all suicides, were identified. The primary finding of the present study was that nursing home residents who died by suicide had suffered from highly comorbid somatopsychiatric disorders. One or more diagnoses on Axis I were made for all who died by suicide in nursing home. Depressive syndrome was diagnosed in three-quarters of subjects. Only a third of these were identified to have suffered from depressive symptoms before their death. Early recognition and adequate treatment of both somatic diseases and mental disorders, particularly depression, as well as early recognition of suicide risk among nursing home residents, are needed in order to prevent suicide.
Effects of a group-based exercise program on the mood state of frail older women after discharge from hospital
- Authors:
- TIMONEN L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(12), December 2002, pp.1106-1111.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Older people with somatic illnesses are at increased risk of depression. It is not known whether exercise alleviates depressive symptoms in frail, very old people recuperating from an acute illness. Group-based exercise program organized in the context of a Finnish health care organization improved mood in frail older women recuperating from an acute illness. After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in mood in the intervention group compared to the home exercise control group.