Objective: Suicide is a quiet death in the elderly. Aim of this study is to investigate the various factors that determine the idea of suicide and the possible causes that may trigger suicidal behavior in sample of elderly patients, who were admitted to an outpatient clinic in an education hospital
Method: The study included 150 individuals, aged 65 years and older who were admitted with sequential order to Rize Education and Research Hospital Clinic of Psychiatry between 03.01.2012-03.01.2013, met the criteria for inclusion, for the implementation of the scales to meet to talk and express themselves to sustain skills levels. Neurological disease, mental retardation, dementia, psychotic disorder due to general medical conditions and those set psychotic disorder caused by drug use, recent use of drugs or current use of mood stabilizers by patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy were excluded. Patients were evaluated with sociodemographic and clinical data collection form, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS), Reasons for Living Inventory (RLI) and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS).
Results: 72.7% of patients were female (n= 109), 27.3% were male (n= 41), with an age range of 65 to 88 and the mean age was 71.3±5.6 years. 69.3% of patients (n= 104) had no suicidal ideation whereas 30.7% had suicidal ideation in the study group. BHS total score between the groups with and without suicidal ideation, average BHS subscale scores of feelings and expectations about the future, loss of motivation and hope in terms of sub-scales were statistically significant (p <0.05). Between the groups with and without suicidal ideation, average BHS total score, BHS total score between the groups with and without suicidal ideation, average BHS’s subscale scores for feelings and expectations about the future, loss of motivation and hope in terms of subscales were statistically significant (p<0.05). The mean scores of those with suicidal ideation in all subscales were higher than those without suicidal ideation. RLI evaluated in terms of total scores, those with suicidal ideation RLI the total mean score was 243.74±32.28 while non-suicidal ideation average score were found 267.27±24.36. According to the participants in the group without suicidal ideation mean score was higher than another. There was a significant relationship between the two groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Risk factors for suicide were hopelessness, lack of reasons for living, psychiatric and / or physical disorders and suicidal behaviors defined as in the past for the elderly population..