Suicide Among The Elderly Research Paper

Suicide Among the Elderly: Symptoms that are ignored

University of California, Irvine
Professor Webster P117D
November 27, 2007

Suicide among the elderly: Symptoms that are ignored
More than 30,000 Americans every year commit suicide. A suicide happens every eighteen minutes. The highest rate of suicide of any age group occurs among the elderly. The elderly make up 12.6% of the population, yet they account for almost 18% of all the suicides. An elderly suicide occurs every 100 minutes. Suicide ranks as the eighth leading cause of death among those aged 65 and older (Noffsinger, Knoll). Firearms consist of the main method in which the elderly take their lives. The next two in line are overdosing
Depression is a key factor for the rates of suicide in the elderly. Depression is most commonly associated with the pain of loss. Suicide rates are definitely higher for those who are divorced or widowed. The suicide rates of older divorced male adults was 3.4 times more than for married men. As for widowed men, the rates are 2.6 times more. It is often the case that old adults who have committed suicide were stricken by at least one psychiatric illness. The most common illness was depression. Contrary to myth, depression actually decreases with age, with young adults most likely to contract depression. The main reason why suicide rates remain high for older adults even though depression rates are low is due to how symptoms of depressions are perceived in older adults. Suicide remains high because symptoms of depression among older adults are mistakenly seen as part of the aging process and also due to the fact that older adults do not seek mental health services to help them with their
Major factors that account for suicide ideation include psychiatric distress, major depression, poor physical health, and poor social support. In an experimental study done by P.J. Raue et al, participants from a large certified home health agency were randomly selected and assessed for psychiatric symptoms. The study used a Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I DSM-IV Disorders and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. They were asked questions regarding suicidal plans and thoughts, reasons for living, and the capacity to carry out suicidal actions. Of the participants, 11.7% showed signs of suicidal ideation with 2 patients requiring emergency care. Some reports indicated that these patients were thinking of suicide via overdose and firearms. The participants with suicidal ideation met the criteria of major or minor depression. Around 25% of participants with suicidal ideation did not show any signs of mood, anxiety, alcohol, or substance abuse disorder. A one year follow up interview assessed whether these patients still exhibited signs of suicidal ideation. About 5% of the whole sample with no suicidal tendencies at the first interview now showed signs of suicidal ideation. Among those who reported suicidal ideation in the beginning of the study, 35% continued to report symptoms of suicidal ideation. Although the rates of suicidal ideation are relatively low and no one committed suicide over