Characteristics of Drugs Ingested for Suicide Attempts in the Elderly

Journal of Korean Medical Science
Ji Yeon Lim, Duk Hee Lee

Abstract

Suicide is a significant public health problem worldwide. Suicide rates among elderly persons (≥ 65 years of age) are three times higher than those of younger people in Korea. The emergency department is an important entry of drug-related suicide attempt patients. In this study, we compared the frequency of drug types by age subgroup. Furthermore, we provide suggestions for preventing suicide attempts in the elderly. We investigated 433 patients who were admitted to the emergency department for drug-related suicide attempts between 1 May 2015 and 30 April 2017. The proportion of patients who overdosed on antidepressants was 32.5% in the non-elderly age group and 8.0% in the elderly group (≥ 65 years of age) (P < 0.001). Among the elderly, the most commonly ingested agent was hypnotics (59.1%) (P < 0.001). Compared with the non-elderly, the results showed that the elderly used fewer antidepressants (P < 0.001) and analgesics (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the elderly used more hypnotics (P < 0.001). Over-the-counter drugs and other medications showed similar usage trends in both age groups (P = 0.664, P = 0.193). The categories of drugs ingested for suicide attempts vary widely between different age groups. Younger people used antidepr...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 30, 2020·Archives of Suicide Research : Official Journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research·Eun KimDuk Hee Lee
Nov 1, 2021·The Senior Care Pharmacist·Keith Burechson, Tony Salvatore

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