Sex Differences in Suicide Incident Characteristics and Circumstances Among Older Adults: Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System—17 U.S. States, 2005-2007

Each year in the U.S. more than 6,500 adults aged 60 years and older die of suicide and as the population ages these numbers are expected to increase. Few suicide studies focus on older adults and, while sex is one of the most important predictors of older adult suicide, differences between males and females are often overlooked due to low occurrence, particularly among women. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) bridges this gap and provides detailed information on older adult suicide by sex. NVDRS data for 2005-2007 were used to characterize male (n=4,679) and female (n=1,033) suicide decedents aged 60 years and older, including incident characteristics and circumstances precipitating suicide. Stratification of NVDRS data by males and females shows significant differences with regard to the presence of antidepressants (19% and 46% respectively), opiates (17%, 32%), and 15 precipitating circumstances concerning mental health, interpersonal problems, life stressors and a history of suicide attempts. No differences were found for alcohol problems, suicide/other death of family or friends, non-criminal legal problems, or disclosure of intent to take their own life. Demographics varied widely between existing studies and NVDRS due to a lack of random sampling and small case counts associated with the other studies; NVDRS data more closely approximates population demographics and thus offers the potential for new insights. The findings of this study demonstrate the value of using comprehensive surveillance data to develop a more complete understanding of sex-specific suicide circumstances so that opportunities for targeted prevention strategies may be considered.