Protective Factors Against Elderly Suicide (ProFAES)

Groupe Hospitalier de la Rochelle Ré Aunis

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Suicide, Attempted; Suicide Gesture

Treatments: Behavioral: Post-suicidal crisis interview

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03162744

2015/P08/079

Details and patient eligibility

About

Suicidal intentionality is generally stronger among the elderly, suicidal acts are more violent and are combined with a greater physical fragility. The suicide of an older adult is a situation that often leads to helplessness feelings.

Analysis of the literature reveals two types of major interventions in order to reduce suicide rate: reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors. Risk factors are well documented, particularly from studies using psychological autopsies. However, protective factors are much less studied for the elderly. Yet the identification of relevant and available protective mechanisms in a suicidal crisis is essential to effectively guide nurses and health professionals in therapeutic commitment and intervention.

Full description

France has a suicide rate (16.2 per 100 000 inhabitants) well above the European average rate (10.2 per 100 000 inhabitants). The Poitou-Charentes region is in a situation of excess mortality by suicide compared to France (+ 25%). While the ratio of suicide attempts per suicide is about 200/1 before 25 years, it is estimated to be 4/1 after 65 years, or even 1/1 in elderly men. In France, suicide attempts are not systematically recorded and the frequency of suicidal ideation is poorly understood. The consensus conference on suicidal crisis highlights a number of clinical points specific to the elderly population (suicidal ideas are not always clearly expressed or unidentified, there are various manifestations of the psychic crisis, greater vulnerability of this population), but the complexity of interactions between suicidal risk factors limits our predictive capabilities of suicidal intention in an elderly person. Analysis of the literature reveals two types of major interventions in order to reduce the suicide rate: those aimed at reducing risk factors and those aimed at increasing protective factors. The objective of our research is to determine the effect of protective factor methodical search on post-crisis patient care.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Attempted suicide and / or suicidal ideas
• Informed and agreed to participate

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive disorders
• Refusal to participate

Trial design

15 participants in 1 patient group

Suicide attempt or ideas

Description:

Elderly patients who attempted suicide or who emitted suicidal ideas

Treatment:

Behavioral: Post-suicidal crisis interview