Suicide in People Aged 45-60: A Case-control Psychological Autopsy Study

Psychological Autopsy Study: A Case-control Research Into 45-60 Year Old Suicide Victims in Flanders, Belgium

The purpose of this study is to learn about the possible causes of the negative trend in suicide rates in both males and females aged 45-60 in Flanders, Belgium. This will be carried out using a psychological autopsy study.

A case-control psychological autopsy study will be carried out to identify what risk factors are related to suicide in people aged 45-60. People close to the person who died by suicide (next of kin or close friends) will be interviewed. To increase the validity of our findings, a control group will also be interviewed. The control group will be someone who is very close to someone with mental health problems.

Inclusion Criteria:

• close to suicide victim or person who has mental health problems
• suicide victim or person with mental health problems was/is 45-60 years old
• the suicide happened more than 3 months and less than 5 years ago

Exclusion Criteria:

• not Dutch-speaking