Availability of Knowledgeable Informants for a Psychological Autopsy Study of Suicides Committed by Elderly People

Psychological autopsy methodology has not been applied to elderly suicides, because it is thought that older adults who die by suicide are socially isolated & therefore it is difficult ot find knowledgeable informants. This retrospective study examines the number & availability of informants for 145 older people who committed suicide. The authors find there was at least 1 knowledgeable informant in 90% of cases, & 2 or more in almost 50%. 2 case studies are included. (VM)