Attempted Suicide Among Elderly Chinese Persons: a Multi-group, Controlled Study

This study delineated the characteristics of 224 elderly people, 66 that have attempted suicide in a representative Chinese sample by comparing them with 67 people who have died by suicide & 91 comparison subjects age 65 years or over who were randomly selected from the community. Using a case-control design & standardized measuring instruments, the risk & protective factors associated with attempted suicide were examined. A current diagnosis of major depression was associated with a nearly 60-fold increased risk for attempted suicide. (LC) (48 refs)