@article{ref1,
title="Suicide in old age: A tragedy of neglect",
journal="Canadian journal of psychiatry, The",
year="1996",
author="Duckworth, G. and McBride, H.",
volume="41",
number="4",
pages="217-222",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and treatment of depression in geriatric suicide. METHOD: All coroners' records, autopsy and police reports for suicide victims aged 65+ in Ontario (n = 543) over 3 years were examined. RESULTS: Over 80% of the elderly who committed suicide received no psychiatric referral. Of the sample, 87% were untreated while only 13% received antidepressants. Tricyclics, which are lethal in overdose, were the drugs of choice. None of the sample was treated with the safer specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Females were 3 times as likely to be treated as were males, and those seeing psychiatrists were 4 times more likely to be treated with antidepressants than those seeing general practitioners (GPs). The physically ill were rarely treated. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that early geropsychiatric assessment and vigorous treatment could prevent many suicides in old age.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0706-7437",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}