Evaluation of Elderly Suicide Characteristics in Turkish Population

Abstract

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to investigate social and psychiatric characteristics of elderly suicide and examine demographic data, and determine possible risk factors. Patients and methods: Autopsy reports of forensic deaths due to suicide between 2010-2021 years of age 65 and older were retrospectively analyzed. The data were statistically compared by gender, type of suicide, time of suicide, and place of death. In addition, whether the spouses of these cases were alive, with whom they lived, their history of psychiatric illness, history of psychological trauma, and whether there was a previous suicide attempt were evaluated according to gender. Results: In the study, which included 44 cases, 75% of the cases were male (n:33); 25% were women (n:11). Most of the Suicide cases occurred in autumn (34.1%), were indoors (72.7%) and were during the daytime (79.5%). The most suicide pattern was hanging for both groups. 54.5% of all cases had a history of psychiatric illness. It was the first suicide attempt in 81.8% of the cases. No statistically significant difference was found between male and female genders for all these parameters. Conclusion: We think that suicide attempts and suicide-related elderly mortality rates can be reduced if protective and preventive measures are taken in geriatric age groups by gender, taking into account the suicide risk factors and the methods used.

Keywords

• Suicide
• Geriatric
• Autopsy
• Psychiatric disorder
• i̇ntihar
• geriatrik
• otopsi
• psikiyatrik bozukluk

Türk Toplumunda Yaşlı İntihar Özelliklerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada yaşlı intiharlarının sosyal ve psikiyatrik özelliklerinin araştırılması, demografik verilerin incelenmesi ve olası risk faktörlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Hasta ve yöntemler: 2010-2021 yılları arasında 65 yaş ve üzeri intihara bağlı adli ölümlerin otopsi raporları geriye dönük olarak incelendi. Veriler cinsiyet, intihar türü, intihar zamanı ve ölüm yerine göre istatistiksel olarak karşılaştırıldı. Ayrıca bu olguların eşlerinin hayatta olup olmadığı, kiminle yaşadığı, psikiyatrik hastalık öyküsü, psikolojik travma öyküsü ve daha önce intihar girişimi olup olmadığı cinsiyetlere göre değerlendirildi. Bulgular: 44 olgunun yer aldığı çalışmada olguların %75'i erkek (n:33); %25'i kadındı (n:11). İntihar vakalarının çoğu sonbaharda (%34,1), kapalı mekanlarda (%72,7) ve gündüz (%79,5) meydana geldi. Her iki grup için de en fazla intihar yöntemi asıydı. Tüm olguların %54.5'inde psikiyatrik hastalık öyküsü vardı. Vakaların %81.8'inde ilk intihar girişimiydi. Tüm bu parametreler için kadın ve erkek cinsiyetler arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı. Sonuç: Cinsiyete göre geriatrik yaş gruplarında intihar risk faktörleri ve kullanılan yöntemler dikkate alınarak koruyucu ve önleyici tedbirler alınırsa intihar girişimleri ve intihara bağlı yaşlı ölüm oranlarının azaltılabileceğini düşünüyoruz.

Keywords

• i̇ntihar
• geriatrik
• otopsi
• psikiyatrik bozukluk

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