Year: 2017 Source: Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine. (2017). 15(1), 29-33. SIEC No: 20170567

This paper examines the merits of the qualitative and quantitative methods
of suicide research in the elderly using two studies identified through a free
search of the Pubmed database for articles that might have direct bearing on
suicidality in the elderly. The studies have been purposively selected for
critical appraisal because they meaningfully reflect the quantitative and
qualitative divide as well as the social, economic, and cultural boundaries
between the elderly living in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. The paper
concludes that an integration of both the qualitative and quantitative research
approaches may provide a better platform for unraveling the complex
phenomenon of suicide in the elderly.