Suicides among Russians at the age of reverse development

Suicides among Russians at the age of reverse development

 

Authors

 

A.V. Golenkov

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Chuvash State University named after I.N. Ulyanov”, Cheboksary, Russian Federation; State Autonomous Institution of Additional Professional Education “Institute for Advanced Training of Physicians” of the Ministry of Health of Chuvashia, Cheboksary, Russian Federation

P.B. Zotov

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Tyumen State Medical University” of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Tyumen, Russian Federation; Scientific and Educational Project “Siberian School of Preventive Suicidology and Deviantology”, Tyumen, Russian Federation

D.O. Aleksandrova

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Chuvash State University named after I.N. Ulyanov”, Cheboksary, Russian Federation

O.V. Sultanov

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Chuvash State University named after I.N. Ulyanov”, Cheboksary, Russian Federation

 

https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2024-2(123)-86-91

 

Journal: Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry. 2024; 2 (123):  86-91.

 

Abstract

Background. Suicides in the elderly, later and senile ages are most common, therefore they remain a pressing public health problem and are of interest in terms of studying the socio-economic factors (income level, attitude in society, stigmatization, living conditions, accessibility of medical and social services), suicide risk factors, psychological protective factors for this category of the population. Objective: to study a representative sample of cases of suicide in persons of reverse development age who lived in the territory of large metropolitan cities of the Russian Federation. Materials and Methods. We analyzed 400 suicides of people (255 men and 145 women) at the elderly, later and senile ages (from 60 to 101 years), committed between 2001 and 2024 (mean age was 75.3±8.6 years). Information collection was carried out using electronic media from 86 regions of the Russian Federation. Results. The most common method of suicide among older people was falling (jumping) from a height (24.8%). Men were statistically significantly more likely than women to resort to firearms to die, while women resorted to falling under a vehicle. Persons 75 years of age and older used poisoning, including painkillers, to commit suicide at a high rate. 18% of suicides were committed in hospitals, most often by falling from a height. 3.3% of couple suicides were recorded, most often through carbon monoxide poisoning and refusal to eat (starvation). Suicide notes were left by 5.5% of suicide victims. The main motives for suicide were serious illness (47.3%), loneliness, death, illness of loved ones (16%). Mental disorders (psychosis, depressive states) were indicated in 8% of reports; these suicide victims were statistically significantly more likely to commit self-immolation, expressing thoughts about the end of the world, their own sins, and religious ideas. 60-74-year-old suicide victims more often lost their lives due to criminal prosecution, 75-year-olds and older ‒ due to weakness, physical and mental fatigue, long-term illnesses ‒ “tired of life.” Conclusion. Suicides of people of the so-called reverse development age in the regions of Russia differ from suicides in other population groups in terms of methods and reasons for their committing.

 

Keywords: suicide, elderly, later and senile ages, methods, motives (reasons), media, Russia.

 

Article (pdf)

 

Contacts

 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Materials  

For citation: Golenkov A.V., Zotov P.B., Aleksandrova D.O., Sultanov O.V. Suicides among Russians at the age of reverse development. Siberian Herald of Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry.2024; 2 (123): 86-91. https://doi.org/10.26617/1810-3111-2024-2(123)-86-91

 

REFERENCES

  1. Beghi M, Butera E, Cerri CG, Cornaggia CM, Febbo F, Mollica A, Berardino G, Piscitelli D, Resta E, Logroscino G, Daniele A, Altamura M, Bellomo A, Panza F, Lozupone M. Suicidal behaviour in older age: A systematic review of risk factors associated to suicide attempts and completed suicides. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 Aug;127:193-211. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.011. Epub 2021 Apr 18. PMID: 33878336.
  2. Prokopovich GA, Sinenchenko AG, Gvozdetsky AN, Dobrovolskaya AE, Sofronov AG. Suicidal attempts in the elderly. Individual issues of specialized care and prevention. Scientific Forum. Siberia. 2023;9(2):7-10 (in Russian).
  3. De Leo D, Vichi M, Kolves K, Pompili M. Late life suicide in Italy, 1980-2015. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2020 Mar;32(3):465-474. doi: 10.1007/s40520-019-01431-z. Epub 2019 Dec 2. PMID: 31792764.
  4. Kaya A, Tosun Tasar P, Meral O, Sahın S, Balkay M, Ozgur Aktas E, Akcıcek F. The characteristics of older people suicides by sex and age subgroups. Leg Med (Tokyo). 2020 Sep;46:101721. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2020.101721. Epub 2020 May 28. PMID: 32492558.
  5. Barak Y, Cheung G, Fortune S, Glue P. No country for older men: ageing male suicide in New Zealand. Australas Psychiatry. 2020 Aug;28(4):383-385. doi: 10.1177/1039856220905304. Epub 2020 Feb 24. PMID: 32093500.
  6. Cai Z, Junus A, Chang Q, Yip PSF. The lethality of suicide methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2022 Mar 1;300:121-129. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.054. Epub 2021 Dec 23. PMID: 34953923.
  7. Haviland MJ, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Rivara FP. Age, period and cohort effects in firearm homicide and suicide in the USA, 1983-2017. Inj Prev. 2021 Aug;27(4):344-348. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043714. Epub 2020 Jul 30. PMID: 32732341.
  8. Kozlov VA, Zotov PB, Golenkov AV. Suicide: genetics and pathomorphosis. Tyumen, 2023:200 (in Russian).
  9. Hernández-Calle D, Martínez-Alés G, López-Cuadrado T. Suicidal and accidental drug poisoning mortality among older adults and working-age individuals in Spain between 2000 and 2018. BMC Geriatr. 2022 Feb 10;22(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-02806-0. PMID: 35144558; PMCID: PMC8832785.
  10. Golenkov AV. Mental disorders as a medical and social problem (regional aspect): dissertation abstract D. Sc. (Medicine). Moscow, 1998:39 (in Russian).
  11. Lyubov EB, Sakharov AV, Yakhyaeva PK, Kryukova EM, Antokhin EYu, Volostnova TM, Obiedkova OA, Palyaeva SV. Clinical and epidemiological study of patients with persistent depression with suicidal risk: preliminary results. Academic Journal of West Siberia. 2022;18(1):30-34. doi: 10.32878/sibir.22-18-01(94)-30-34 (in Russian).
  12. Schmutte TJ, Wilkinson ST. Suicide in older adults with and without known mental illness: Results from the national violent death reporting system, 2003-2016. Am J Prev Med. 2020 Apr;58(4):584-590. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.001. Epub 2020 Jan 28. PMID: 32001049; PMCID: PMC7089842.
  13. Lyubov EB. Suicidal contract in pictures and images. Part I: definition, typology, distribution and methods. Suicidology. 2022;13(2):28-49. doi.org/10.32878/suiciderus.22-13-02(47)-28-49 (in Russian).
  14. Golenkov AV. Post-homicidal suicides. Suicidology. 2018;9(3):3-15. doi: 10.32878/suiciderus.18-09-03(32)-3-15 (in Russian).
  15. Prokopovich GA, Gvozdetsky AN, Barannik IA, Vorobyova NV, Dobrovolskaya AE, Sofronov AG. Possibilities of medical and psychological counseling rooms in suicide prevention. Deviant Behavior. 2024;8(1):60-64. doi: 10.32878/devi.24-8-01(14)-60-64 (in Russian).