Suicide in older prisoners in Germany

Abstract

As in many countries, the numbers of older prisoners are rising in Germany, but scientific information on this group is scarce. For the current study, a survey was used that included all prison suicides in Germany between the years of 2000 and 2013. Suicide rates of the elderly prisoners exceeded the suicide rates of the general population and the same age group. We observed a continuous decrease in the suicide rate of elderly prisoners. When compared to the younger suicide victims in prison, significantly more elderly suicide victims were: female, of German nationality, remand prisoners, or serving a life sentence. In Germany, elderly prisoners are a vulnerable subpopulation of the prison population. Higher suicide rates than in the same age group in the general population indicate unmet needs regarding mental disorders and their specific treatment.