Suicidio en la tercera edad: un problema de salud comunitario

a descriptive and retrospective study of the total deaths from suicide occurred in manicaragua (1992-1999), villa clara, was conducted in order to know if the depressive state and the chronic disabling diseases are risk factors among the elderly. it was observed that 40 aged persons committed suicide during that period. the epidemiological and sociocultural variables were analyzed. we concluded that no aged person committed suicide in 1992, that 77.5 % hanged themselves, that the depressive state prevailed in 65 % and that 35.0 % suffered from chronic disabling diseases.