Socio-demographic and clinical factors related to mortality among the geriatric suicide attempters admitted to the emergency department

Abstract

Objective: The ratio of elderly people in Turkey is rapidly growing. Accordingly, psychiatric problems and suicidality among elderly people are growing concerns. In this study, we aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of older people who attempted suicide by drug and to identify risk factors affecting mortality.

Methods: Patients who were over 65 years old and admitted to the emergency department of a university hospital due to drug-related suicide attempt between January 1, 2004 and December 30, 2014, were included into this retrospective cross-sectional study. Relationship between suicide attempt and mortality was investigated in regard to socio-demographic and clinical factors. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they survived or died.

Results: Of the 107 patients included in the study, 68.2% were female and 31.8% were male; 34.6% were married. Common reasons for suicide attempt were depression (34.6%) and domestic violence (30.8%). Analgesics (33.6%) were the most common drugs used in suicide attempts. The analysis of the factors related to suicide attempt and mortality revealed that significant factors were loneliness, being widowed, being retired, having adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder.

Conclusion: Loneliness, being widowed, being retired, adjustment disorder, and anxiety disorder were found as the risk factors affecting mortality in geriatric suicide attempts.

Key words: Geriatric, mortality, suicide

Keywords

• Geriatric, mortality, suicide

Acil servise intihar girişimi ile başvuran yaşlı hastalarda mortaliteyi etkileyen sosyodemografik ve klinik faktörler

Abstract

Amaç: Tüm dünyada olduğu gibi Türkiye’de de yaşlı nüfus oranı hızla artmaktadır. Buna paralel olarak ileri yaşta görülen psikiyatrik hastalıklar ve intihar eğilimi önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, ilaç alımı ile intihar girişiminde bulunan yaşlı hastaların sosyodemografik özelliklerini belirlemeyi ve mortalite üzerinde etkili olan faktörleri tespit etmeyi amaçladık.Yöntemler: Bir üniversite hastanesi acil servisine 01.01.2004 ile 30.09.2014 tarihleri arasında ilaçla intihar girişimi nedeniyle başvuran 65 yaş üzeri olan hastalar çalışmaya dahil edildi. Hastalar yaşlarına göre gruplara ayrıldı. Sosyodemografik ve klinik özellikler açısından intihar girişimi ile mortalite arasındaki ilişki araştırıldı. Hastalar yaşayanlar ve ölenler olmak üzere iki gruba ayrıldı.Bulgular: Hastaların %68,2’si kadın, %31,8’i erkekti. Hastaların %34,6’sı evliydi. En sık intihar girişim sebebini ise ruhsal bunalım (%34,6) ve aile içi şiddet (%30,8) oluşturuyordu. İntihar amaçlı en sık (%33,6) kullanılan etken madde analjeziklerdi. Çalışmada yalnız yaşama, emekli olma, uyum bozukluğu olması ve anksiyete bozukluğu olmasının intihar girişimi ile mortalite anlamlı faktörler olduğu tespit edildi. Sonuç: İntihar girişiminde bulunan yaşlı hastalarda yalnız yaşama, emekli olma, uyum bozukluğu olması ve anksiyete bozukluğu olması mortalite üzerine etkili risk faktörleri olarak bulundu

Keywords

• Yaşlı, mortalite, intihar

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