DELIBERATE SELF-HARM IN THE ELDERLY - A SURVEY OF ONE LONDON BOROUGH

This article details the results of a retrospective case note study on deliberate self-harm in the elderly in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. There were 56 females and 32 males included in the study. The ages of the patients ranged from 65 to 90. Fifty-seven per cent of the sample had a depressive illness, most commonly found in the younger females and the older males. Over 50% of the sample had evidence of multiple health problems, particularly heart disease and arthritis. Over 90% of cases used self-poisoning as the means of self-harm. Sixty-one per cent used benzodiazepines and 25% salicylates. Over 30% used multiple drug combinations. Thirty-eight per cent of the sample had evidence of previous self-harm, 17% had repeated self-harm within a year and 6% were dead through suicide. Although the characteristics of the patients bore some resemblance to those identified in the literature as being risk factors for self-harm among younger patients, they bore a much closer resemblance to known risk factors for suicide. This may have ramifications for further research into the prevention of suicide.