Objective: To explore whether childlessness has any significant association with elderly suicide and whether this differs with gender.
Design: Explorative Retrospective study using coroner's inquests.
Materials and Methods: Data was extracted from the records of coroner’s inquests into all unexpected deaths of persons aged 60 and over in Cheshire over a period of 13 years 1989-2001. The coroner’s office covers the whole county of Cheshire (1,000,000 of population). Verdicts of accidental death, misadventure, and open verdicts were not included in data collection.
A standard form was designed and used to extract the data from the inquests’ files consistently for the whole sample. Information recorded for all cases included; demographic details, methods of death, circumstances leading to the death and history of psychiatric and physical morbidity, social isolation, and evidence of intent.
Results: The study found no significant gender difference in childlessness in elderly suicide victims(P>0.05). Significantly fewer widowed men who committed suicide were childless (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02-3, P<0.001). Childless men showed an opposite trend in being more likely to contact their GP prior to suicide compared to those who had children. History of DSH, psychiatric morbidity and being previously known to services were found to be significantly lower in childless female victims compared to elderly mothers (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.1-1.9 P<0.05). The opposite was found in men. Leaving suicide notes and method of suicide did not appear to be influenced by childless status in both sexes (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Some studies showed that almost half of elderly suicide victims had communicated suicidal intentions to their children (Petkaelae, 2000). Child bearing has been reported to be protective for women in terms of suicide risk (Appleby 1996, Quin et al 2000, Hawton 2000). However, it’s not clear whether the protective effect of having children diminishes in old age.
Based on our findings, the protective effect of having children appears to diminish in old age. The inverse relationship in childless widowed men and lack of association with leaving suicide notes are unexpected but interesting findings. Childless females appear to be at a higher risk of succeeding in their first attempt and, more importantly, can easily escape the attention of services.
| Male No Children | Female No Children | Male With Children | Female With Children | |
| Living alone | 22 | 22 | 36 | 5 |
| Widowed | 3 | 16 | 32 | 29 |
| Violent method | 27 | 10 | 42 | 30 |
| GP contact | 25 | 10 | 31 | 34 |
| Known to services | 10 | 5 | 13 | 29 |
| Evidence of intent | 21 | 15 | 40 | 25 |
| History of DSH | 6 | 12 | 12 | 19 |
| Psychiatric morbidity | 23 | 5 | 34 | 37 |
Back to PA Monday Poster Sessions
Back to The Eleventh International Congress