The presence of dissatisfaction with life or thoughts of death or suicide has been variously surveyed in adolescent samples and in the general population, but there is a paucity of research on the elderly. The aim of this study was to assess, in an elderly community-dwelling population: a) the prevalence of death and/or suicidal feelings and thoughts and any attempted suicides; and b) factors associated with these experiences. A total of 611 over-65-year-old subjects were interviewed at home. Seventeen percent of the total (F:M = almost 2:1) responded affirmatively to at least one of the questions on suicidality. Elderly people reporting suicidal feelings presented markedly higher levels of physical and psychological distress, such as depression, anxiety, and hostility. Results indirectly confirm that depressive symptomatology is not adequately treated. Greater attention is warranted in psychological evaluation of the elderly to take into account those risk factors that, if identified and managed, could reduce the frequency of suicidal thoughts and, probably, associated actions.

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Older people with AD perceive their own QOL similarly to and, in some areas, even better than healthy people of the same age. The opposite was observed among the depressed. Informants do not always evaluate QOL in the same way as healthy elders and those with AD, while there is more agreement with depressed patients. Informant evaluation may be helpful but is not necessarily reliable.

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Increasingly scarce economic resources prompt the need for more efficient forms of health care; hence, brief outpatient crisis intervention has therapeutic and preventive goals with respect to suicide risk. The aim of this study was to assess which factors predict nonnegotiated termination of treatment. Patients who dropped out of treatment (n ¼ 26) were compared with those who concluded treatment (n ¼ 102). Intervention, which resembled outpatient-focused brief supporting psychotherapy, consisted of 10 weekly sessions lasting 45-50 min. The first session envisaged an initial consultation; the following 2 sessions consisted of in-depth assessment, presentation of the intervention, and

The aim of this work was to assess the impact of personality disorder and traits on the subjective assessment of quality of life by a sample of elderly psychiatric outpatients (60 years or more). Sixty of the total number of subjects interviewed were included in the test sample since they met the Vragenlijst Klinishe Persoonlijkheid (VKP) criteria for personality disorder. A control sample was also formed, composed of 50 subjects without personality disorders or traits. Quality of life was assessed using the LEIPAD questionnaire. Personality disorder diagnoses were prevalently distributed in cluster C (25%) and in cluster A (20%). A total of 48.3% of patients (n = 29) had more than 1 personality disorder. Sixty percent of the sample (n = 36) presented with comorbid Axis I psychiatric disorders, in most cases depressive pathologies. Comparing the case and control groups, worse LEIPAD scores were achieved by subjects with personality disorders. Between clusters of personality disorders, the worst scores were observed in subjects with more than 1 personality disorder diagnosis. Elderly people who presented with a personality disorder were more vulnerable to late-life distress, especially those with more than one diagnosis. In keeping with linear regression analysis, widowhood, divorcehood and living with others appear to be variables able to negatively influence quality of life in this population. While the VKP needs to be adapted to the application in the elderly, it does seem to be a particularly useful screening instrument.

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