BACKGROUND
According to a critical review of attempted suicide in old
age by Draper (1996), the seminal works of the 1950s identified
most of the same key factors also found in contemporary
research; depression, physical illness, social isolation
and being unmarried. Further, Draper (1996) noted
that there had been a ‘disappointing lack of refinement
in our understanding of the processes by which these
and other factors contribute to an older person’s suicide
attempt’ (p. 585). The elderly who attempt suicide provide
opportunities to further our awareness of the factors
that contribute to suicide, in particular health professionals
who must consider the complex interaction between
medical, psychological and social factors that impact
upon older people’s lives (De Leo et al., 2013; Lawrence et
al., 2000). Draper (1996) also argued that such opportunities
had ‘yet to be firmly grasped by researchers’ (p. 585).
Building on Draper’s work, Chan et al. (2007) reviewed