Special high-risk factors in suicide among older adults.

Abstract

A vious chapters with respect to suicide in late life. Each of those to be elaborated here has been noted briefly in chapter 1 or 2. In chapter 1, our intent was to provide the reader with basic demographic features of the suicidal elderly. In that regard, we introduced several of the topics that we will enlarge upon here and conveyed their primary relationship with suicidal incidence. In this chapter, we will give special attention to a selected number of those risk factors that are particularly important in late life, by expanding the coverage and reviewing the literature for each. These factors can be divided in terms of those involving losses and exit events (including retirement, social isolation, and widowhood), and those involving mental and physical pathology (including physical illness and pain as well as terminal illness, psychopathology, Alzheimer's Disease and other organic brain disorders, and alcoholism). Finally, we will review two additional issues that deserve special attention: nursing home and other institutional suicides, and murder-suicide and suicide pacts.

Negative life events and depressive symptoms in late life: Buffering effects of parental and partner bonding?

“…Especially the accumulation of stress has been found to be strongly related to depression in the elderly (Kraaij, Arensman, & Spinhoven, in press;Kraaij & de Wilde, 2001). Depression in late life can have a devastating impact; it has been found to be the leading psychological factor in suicide among the elderly (Draper, 1994;Lapierre, Pronovost, Dube, & Delisle, 1992;McIntosh, Santos, Hubbard, & Overholser, 1994). Therefore, it is important to examine factors that make people more resilient in the face of stress.…”

Envelhecimento e qualidade de vida

“…Concluindo, a depressão acarreta prejuízos consideráveis para a qualidade de vida na velhice. Além de comprometer aspectos do funcionamento físico, a depressão afeta a qualidade dos relacionamentos sociais e familiares, a adesão a tratamentos, o bem estar subjetivo e pode constituir se num fator de risco para a própria vida dos idosos (Lapierre et al, 1992;Draper, 1994;Mcintosh et al, 1994).…”