Szücs A, et al. - Usually adolescents and young adults exhibit suicidal behavior, however, there are some people who first attempt suicide in late life, often with remarkable lethal intent and determination. In this cross-sectional case-control study conducted in older adults aged ≥ 50 (mean: 65), researchers assessed the personality of early- and late-onset attempters (age at first attempt ≤ or > 50, mean: 31 vs 61), suicide ideators as well as non-suicidal depressed and healthy controls. Assessment of personality was done in accordance with the five-factor model (FFM, n = 200) and five DSM personality disorders analyzed on the trait level as continuous scores (PDs, n = 160). They identified differences in the personality of elderly attempters between those with early- and late-onset first attempts. They identified more maladaptive profiles in all clinical groups than healthy individuals. Compared with depressed controls, suicide ideators and early-onset attempters were characterized by higher neuroticism, and borderline traits, while lower extraversion and higher antisocial traits were further noted only in early-onset attempters; this supports that in some individuals, constitutional suicide risk factors persist into late life. Late-onset attempters and depressed controls were similar on most measures, but higher scores on orderliness, a conscientiousness subcomponent, was noted for late-onset attempters. This suggests that this generally adaptive trait may promote suicidal behavior in a subset of depressed elderly.