Outcomes of a Two-Tiered Multifaceted Elderly Suicide Prevention Program in a Hong Kong Chinese Community

OBJECTIVES: 1) To compare the 2-year completed suicide and reattempt rates in a preintervention group of Hong Kong Chinese suicide attempters (aged 65 years and older) who received standard care and a postintervention group enrolled in a regional elderly suicide prevention program (ESPP) that adopts a two-tiered multifaceted care management model and 2) to examine the trend of suicide rates in older adults aged 65 years and older in the pre- and postintervention periods. DESIGN: The first part is an observational cohort study with baseline, follow-up, and outcome data being identified from a clinical electronic registry. The second part examines changes in suicide rates from official mortality statistics. SETTING: A government-funded suicide intervention program serving catchment population (852,796 people aged 65 years and older) in Hong Kong, China. PARTICIPANTS: Suicide attempters (aged 65 years and older) presenting to old-age psychiatric service in the pre- and postintervention phases. MEASUREMENTS: 1) Two-year rates of completed suicide and suicide reattempt and 2) changes in population suicide rates in the pre- and postintervention periods. RESULTS: The 2-year completed suicide rate was 7.58% in the preintervention group (N = 66) and 1.99$% in the ESPP group (N = 351) χ(2) = 6.192; p value: 0.028; df = 1). Reattempt rates were not different. At a population level, suicide rate dropped significantly only in women aged 85 years and older, relative to the preintervention period. CONCLUSIONS: The ESPP was associated with a reduced rate of completed suicide in old-age suicide attempters and might have contributed to a fall of suicide rate in women aged 85 years and older.