The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
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Am J Geriatr Psychiatry · Sep 2006
Suicide among older psychiatric inpatients: an evidence-based study of a high-risk group.
Older adults have elevated suicide rates, especially in the presence of a psychiatric disorder, yet not much is known about predictors for suicide within this high-risk group. The current study examines the characteristics associated with suicide among older adults who are admitted to a psychiatric hospital. ⋯ Our findings underline the important role of affective disorder in combination with other types of disorders. Assessment of suicide risk among older psychiatric inpatients should take current or previous episodes of affective illness into consideration and pay special heed to the time shortly after admission and discharge.