Suicide among the Elderly—The Metro-Dade County Experience, 1981–83

Abstract

A study of suicide victims in those aged 65 years or more was done from the case files of the Medical Examiner Department of Metropolitan Dade County, Miami, Florida, during the years 1981, 1982, and 1983. A total of 222 cases were collected and analysed as to the age, race, sex, and cause of death of the victim along with blood alcohol content, toxicology, locale of the terminal incident, whether or not there was a suicide note, and the reason for depression. The latter most frequently was the victims' concern over their health.