Towards a Socio-Economic and Demographic Theory of Elderly Suicide: a Comparison of 49 Countries at Various Stages of Development

Using data from 49 developing & developed countries for the period around 1995, elderly suicide rates & the elderly/non-elderly suicide ratio are examined. Results show the direction of socio-economic change impacts differentially on elderly suicide rates, the rates in regressing economies being appreciably higher than in progressing economies. However, the impact of socio-economic trends on the elderly/non-elderly suicide ratio was not clear cut. The thesis in this study is that elderly suicide is a function of age-related role & status & is regulated by the dynamics of socio-economic & demographic structures. Culture also seems to play a role that has yet to be determined.