The aim of this study was to develop a system for diagnosis and prevention of suicides in elderly patients with depressions. 87 elderly patients with depressions (F 41.2) were examined. The clinico-psychopathological, pathopsychological and statistical methods were used.

It was found out that elderly patients with depressions had suicidal attempts in 53.1%, suicidal thoughts in 19.4%, suicidal intentions in 27.6%. In the structure of suicidal attempts true suicidal attempts (44.9%) predominated over demonstrative ones (8.2%), and non-complete suicidal attempts (50.0%) prevailed over compete ones (3.1%).

It was defined that in elderly patients with depressions and a suicidal behavior a manifested (29.1±4.6 points on Hamilton Scale) anxiety (agitated) (53.1%) and senesto-hypochondriacal (25.5%) depression prevailed. A suicidal behavior in these patients manifested on the background of introversion (78.6%), explosive (62.2%), psychasthenic (55.1%) personality peculiarities; a low neuropsychic stability (77.6%); a predomination of autoaggression (62.2%) and suspiciousness (43.9%) in the behavior.

Predictors of a suicidal behavior in elderly patients with depressions were autoaggression (38.1±3.5 points), impulsiveness (35.2±5.6 points), a narrowing of cognitive functions (28.9±5.7 points), impairments of interpersonal contacts (22.2±4.6 points).

The analysis of a clinico-psychopathological structure, mechanisms, regularities of formation and development of a suicidal behavior, its motivation, suicidal and antisuicidal factors in elderly patients with depressions allowed us to work out and implement a system for prevention of a suicidal behavior, which based on principles of systematic, differentiation of approaches, timing, complexity, and division on stages.