The Suicide Rate in the Elderly Population of Iran between 2008 and 2014

We aimed to investigate the suicide rate led to death in the elderly population of Iran between 2008 and 2014. Study design: A cross-sectional study.

The present study was conducted on all suicide-related deaths in elderly people (≥65 yr) during the years 2008 to 2014 reported to the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization. For data collection, legal medicine standard form was used and the cases were classified by age, gender, suicide way and time (year). The incidence of death from suicide was calculated by age and sex. Statistical soft-ware stata12 was used to analyze data. The significance level has been considered to be 0.05.

Overall, 1,601 suicide-related deaths were investigated throughout the country. The mean age was 70.36 ± 0.17 years. The incidence trend (per 100,000 people) of the elderly suicides in Iran indicates that successful suicides have been on the rise, rising from 3.7 in 2008 to 4.37 per 100,000 people in 2014.

It is necessary to identify and treat suicidal important predisposing factors of suicide such as psycho-social illnesses including depression and also implement prevention programs and policies for this fast-rising population age-group.