Attitude toward Suicide in the Elderly Suicide Attempter

Objectives: This study aims to compare attitude toward suicide among the elderly with suicide attempt, suicide ideation, and without suicide ideation and attempt. Methods: We recruited study groups according to suicide risk. Suicide attempt/ideation group were recruited from Busan Regional Suicide Prevention Center. Control group was recruited from general population. Suicide attempt group was those who attempted suicide within 6 months prior to study participation. Suicide ideation group was those who had suicide ideation within 6 months prior to study participation but did not have lifetime history of suicide attempt. Control group was those who did not have either lifetime history of suicide ideation and attempt. Attitude toward suicide was evaluated by Korean version of Attitude Toward Suicide-20 (ATTS-20) Questionnaire. Results: Total of 141 elderly people aged over 60 were recruited. Four subscale scores of ATTS-20 permissiveness and nonintervention; preventability and incomprehensibility; universality; unpredictability) were significantly lower in the suicide attempt group than suicide ideation and control group. Conclusion: The results of present study suggest that the elderly who had history of suicide attempt are more permissive toward and have lack of comprehension of suicide. These results can be useful to develop effective suicide intervention and prevention strategy for the elderly.