According to many researchers suicidal attempts among the elderly constitute about 5% of all suicides. The authors analyse motivation and the course of suicidal attempts among elderly inhabitants of the Lublin Region based on clinical material concerning acute poisonings. The causes preceding suicidal attempts are as follows in sequence: situational suicidal reactions, states of depression, conflict situation within the family and/or environment, addiction mainly to alcohol. A considerable group of patients undertaking suicidal attempts were those with psychosomatic diseases. Considering committed suicides among the elderly, contrary to what could have been expected, poor economic standard of the patients was not the primary cause of suicide.