Objectives: To examine the associations of self-reported alcohol consumption in a community based sample of elderly subjects.

Methods: A total of 518 non-institutionalised community dwelling elderly identified from general practice registers were interviewed in their own homes using the Geriatric Mental State (GMS-AGECAT), the Mini-Mental State Examination and the sociodemographic questionnaire. Physical health was rated on a six-point scale. Self reported alcohol consumption was recorded in units per week. The group was then divided according to the presence or absence of excessive alcohol consumption (ie. consumption of over 14 units per week for females and 21 units per week for males). Results were analysed using multivariate regression analysis with excessive alcohol consumption as the dependent variable.

Results: The mean age of the sample was 73 (range 65-95), 63% (n = 329) were female. Thirty-six per cent of the population were abstinent and 7% reported excessive alcohol consumption. Analysis of the data revealed no association between excessive alcohol consumption and diagnosis, age, cognitive function or poor physical health. Excess consumption was found to be significantly associated with gender (male) and widowed status (p < 0.001, p = 0.013 respectively).

Conclusions: As alcohol misuse is commonly missed in the elderly identifying high risk groups is important for the development of intervention strategies. Our results suggest that elderly widowers may be more at risk than their peers of alcohol misuse.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the one-month frequency of hopelessness and suicidal feelings in a community dwelling elderly sample in Dublin.

Method: A total of 891 individuals of 65 years and over, without a dementia, were interviewed using the Geriatric Mental State (GMS)-AGECAT system. Items from the GMS relating to reports of hopelessness and suicidal feelings over the previous month were identified and the relationship of these items to gender and age was studied.

Result: Serious suicidal feelings were rare with 0.2% of the sample expressing a pervasive wish to die, but less intense feelings were more common with 15.5% reporting that life was not worth living. Hopelessness and suicidal feelings were present with similar gender frequencies unlike other studies which have demonstrated a higher frequency among females. Any feeling of hopelessness or suicidality was present in 18.4% of those aged 65-74 years (‘young elderly’) compared with 14.8% of those over 75 years (‘old elderly’). Depressed elderly who reported hopelessness or suicidal feelings were not more likely to be taking antidepressants than the depressives without such feelings.

Conclusion: Cultural factors may explain the pattern of suicidal feelings reported in our sample, with the more intense feelings being rare, and may influence the gender distribution. Hopelessness and suicidality is not more common in the ‘old elderly’ than in the ‘young elderly’ and should not be regarded as an integral part of ageing. The small number of elderly depressives with feelings of hopelessness or suicidality wh o are being treated with antidepressants is a cause for concern.