Depression May Be Driving Elderly Over the Edge
From: www.psychiatrymatters.md Suicide is rife among senior citizens, but most elderly American, their
families, friends, caretakers, and doctors are unaware of the problem. While
senior citizens make up about 13% of the population, they account for nearly
20% of suicides. One suicide is committed for every four attempts made by a
senior citizen, compared with one suicide for every 20 attempts in the
overall population.
Why are the elderly committing suicide?
According to Dr Asghar Hossain, chief of psychiatry for geriatrics at Bergen
Regional Medical Center in Paramus, an estimated 5 million of the 32 million
people aged 65 years and older suffer from depression. Unfortunately, many
people think that depression is a natural part of aging and that it is
therefore untreatable. "I don’t think people recognize the severity of this
problem," he said. "We have treated and seen many elderly people who have
attempted suicide." In many cases, these senior citizens have struggled with
depression that has gone undiagnosed and untreated.
The findings are not new to Denise Arlook, a geriatric care manager who
supervises the care of many senior citizens in northern New Jersey, USA. Ms
Arlook screens her clients for depression and often finds many in need of
treatment.
Other contributing factors
Elderly people tend to be more determined to commit suicide than younger
individuals, and are prepared to use more lethal means, said Dr Yeates
Conwell, professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical
Center in New York, USA. Senior citizens have greater access to firearms,
and studies undertaken at the University of Rochester Medical Center found
that suicide rates for elderly people fell significantly in states
stipulating waiting periods and background checks for gun purchases.
We tend to think that teenagers are more likely to commit suicide than
elderly people, and the risk of suicide among the elderly is just not
appreciated, said Conwell. "Somehow our awareness of suicide in later life
slips through the cracks," he said. "It’s a character of our culture. Older
people tend to fade into the background."
Preventing suicides in seniors in the future
For additional information about older adults and aging, please log onto the
following resources:
National Institute for Mental Health, http://www.nimh.nih.gov
American Geriatrics Society, http://www.americangeriatrics.org
National Mental Health Association, http://nmha.org
Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services,
http://www.aoa.gov
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, http://www.aagpgpa.org
Source: The Charleston Gazette, 6 July 2002
Issue 45
26 July 2002
Research that has been published recently has investigated the reasons why
this sector of the population commits suicide at a higher rate than any
other age group. The new research confirms previous work and implicates
depression and mental impairment as major factors contributing to the
sobering suicide statistics.
In addition to depression, other factors contributing to suicide in elderly
people have been identified, including:
Dr Conwell also pointed out that the problem of suicide among the elderly is
likely to get worse as the population ages and the number of older people
increases dramatically in the USA in the near future. All of this evidence
points to an essential mission – ensuring that mental and physical problems
are identified and treated in senior citizens to prevent suicides.
Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts
Phone (301) 443-4513
Fax (301) 443-4279
TTY (301) 443-8431
Depression in Late Life: Not a Natural Part of Aging
Phone – (212) 308-1414
Fax – (212) 832-8646
Depression in Later Life
Mental Health Information Center
(800) 969-NMHA
TTY Line (800) 433-5959
Phone:
(800) 677-1116
(Eldercare Locator - to find services for an older person in
his or her locality)
(202) 619-7501
(for technical information and public inquiries)
TTI Line –
(800) 877-8339
Phone: (301) 654-7850
fax: (301) 654-4137
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