Suicide in the elderly: a 37-years retrospective study

The rates of suicide increase with age and reach their highest levels in the oldest age groupings and are sufficiently large for them to constitute a public health concern. The number of deaths due to suicides after the age of 60 years in Italy is 1,775 (41.36%) in 2013; there is a constant increase of elder population over the last ten years and elderly are almost twice of young. It is in this context that suicide arises, a risk factor during old age.