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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Jun;138(3):190-200.
doi: 10.1590/1516-3180.2019.0454.r1.16012020. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Prevalence of mental disorders among elderly men: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Genef Caroline Andrade Ribeiro  1 , Walbert de Andrade Vieira  2 , Álex Moreira Herval  3 , Renata Prata Cunha Bernardes Rodrigues  3 , Bernardo Antonio Agostini  4 , Carlos Flores-Mir  5 , Carlos Eduardo Palanch Repeke  6 , Luiz Renato Paranhos  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prevalence of mental disorders among elderly men: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Genef Caroline Andrade Ribeiro et al. Sao Paulo Med J. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Elderly men have been characterized as a group vulnerable to suicide, motivated by loneliness, loss of loved ones and feelings of uselessness to family members.

Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence of different mental disorders among elderly men who attempted suicide.

Design and setting: Systematic review of observational studies developed as a result of a partnership between two postgraduate schools (Lagarto and Uberlândia).

Methods: An electronic search was performed in eight electronic databases, including "grey literature", in January 2019. Observational studies that assessed mental disorders among men older than 60 years who attempted suicide were eligible for inclusion.

Results: Among the disorders evaluated, mood disorders had the highest prevalence (42.0%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 31.0-74.0%; I2: 0.0%; P = 0.763), followed by substance use-related disorders (41.0%; 95% CI: 8.0-74.0%; I2: 96.4; P < 0.001) and, lastly, schizophrenic disorders (5.0%; 95% CI: 0.0%-14.0%; I2: 80.3%; P = 0.024).

Conclusions: It seems that mood disorders and substance use-related disorders are quite prevalent among elderly men with mental disorders who attempted suicide. It is important to consider the role of healthcare services in making early diagnoses of mental disorders among elderly men, in order to diminish the chances of suicide attempts among them.

Systematic review registration: CRD42018105981.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors of this article did not have any conflicts of interest

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. PRISMA flow diagram.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Overall prevalence of each type of mental disorder according to the meta-analyses using fixed and random effects: (a) mood disorders; (b) substance use-related disorders; and (c) schizophrenic disorders.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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