Attempted suicide in old age
B. Draper
Bok Engelsk 1996
| Utgitt | 1996
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|---|---|
| Omfang | Side 577- 587
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| Opplysninger | Studies of attempted suicide (parasuicide, deliberate self-harm) inold age published between 1985 and 1994 are critically reviewed withreference to demography, suicide methods, stressors, psychiatricfeatures and outcome. Despite methodological weaknesses, the studiesconsistently identified a number of factors long regarded as beingassociated with suicidal behaviour in old age. These include beingunmarried, social isolation, impaired physical health, high suicidalintent and mental illness (particularly major depression). Incontrast to earlier research, recent studies have found relationshipproblems to be a prominent factor. However, in the past decade therehas been inadequate examination of psychosocial precipitants,motivations and psychopathology and the manner in which these factorsinteract. The possibilities of the psychological trait ofhopelessness and the biological trait of low central serotonergicactivity being linked with suicide attempts in the elderly requirefurther research. Future studies should be prospective, longitudinal,use standardized measures, matched control groups and includeevaluations of postsuicide attempt interventions, hopelessness andcentral serotonergic activity.
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| Emner |
