Elderly suicide in Alberta: difference by gender

Can J Psychiatry. 1999 Oct;44(8):762-8. doi: 10.1177/070674379904400801.

Abstract

Objective: To determine differences by gender among elderly persons who commit suicide on demographic characteristics, place of suicide, suicide method, previous suicide behaviour, and precipitant stressor.

Method: This study included completed suicides of individuals aged 55 years and over during 1984-1995 in Alberta (n = 920). Information was abstracted from suicide records of medical examiners.

Results: Relative to elderly female suicides, elderly males who commit suicide characteristically use guns to commit suicide (43.8%), are single (12.5%), live in rural areas (46.7%), and have a lower frequency of previous suicide attempts (16.5%). Physical illness and financial difficulty as precipitant stressors of suicide are significantly more frequent among males (40.3% and 8.7% respectively) than females (29.9% and 1.8% respectively). Mental illness as a precipitant stressor is more common among females, 35.8% for women and 15.3% for men.

Conclusions: Lethal methods of suicide and physical illness and financial difficulty as precipitant stressors of suicide are more common among elderly males than females who commit suicide.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alberta / epidemiology
  • Cause of Death*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Life Change Events
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / mortality
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivation
  • Sex Factors
  • Suicide / psychology
  • Suicide / statistics & numerical data*