Table 3.
Proportion (%) of those who purchased outpatient prescribed psychotropic medications in the 2-year study period
| Medicine (first digits of ATC) | Suicide | Natural deatha | Living longerb,c |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women 70–79 years, n | 195 | 43,586 | 34,351 |
| Depression (N06A) | 63.6 | 23.8*** | 12.7*** |
| Psychosis (N05A) | 40.5 | 15.6*** | 6.1*** |
| Neurosis (N05B) | 45.1 | 17.3*** | 11.8*** |
| Any of those | 79.0 | 38.9*** | 22.8*** |
| Women 80+ years, n | 95 | 135,513 | 87,510 |
| Depression (N06A) | 57.9 | 20.7*** | 16.2*** |
| Psychosis (N05A) | 28.4 | 15.4* | 9.7*** |
| Neurosis (N05B) | 30.5 | 12.8*** | 12.8*** |
| Any of those | 66.3 | 34.9*** | 29.0*** |
| Men 70–79 years, n | 570 | 57,704 | 45,257 |
| Depression (N06A) | 37.7 | 20.2*** | 7.3*** |
| Psychosis (N05A) | 20.2 | 13.6*** | 4.1*** |
| Neurosis (N05B) | 29.3 | 13.6*** | 7.7*** |
| Any of those | 51.1 | 31.5*** | 14.7*** |
| Men 80+ years, n | 258 | 68,152 | 42,554 |
| Depression (N06A) | 32.6 | 16.9*** | 10.1*** |
| Psychosis (N05A) | 15.5 | 15.1 | 6.3*** |
| Neurosis (N05B) | 29.8 | 12.2*** | 9.3*** |
| Any of those | 48.8 | 32.7*** | 20.1*** |
* p < 0.05
*** p < 0.001
aThe p values refer to Chi square tests of the significant differences between the suicide and natural death groups
bThe p values refer to Chi square tests of the significant differences between the suicide and control groups
cThe control persons who lived longer than those who died in 2001 were excluded for lack of data