Suicide in Late Life: Review and Commentary

Blazer, Dan G.; Bachar, James R.; Mantón, Kenneth G.

doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1986.tb04244.x

Cited by 116 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…They are also the fastest growing segment of the population. Individuals born in the post-World War II "baby boom" have carried with them substantially higher suicide rates than preceding or subsequent birth cohorts (Blazer et al 1986). As large numbers of this high-risk cohort enter later life in coming decades, therefore, the absolute number of seniors who take their own lives may rise dramatically (Haas and Hendin 1983).…”

Section: N May 2001 the Office Of The Surgeon General Of Thementioning

confidence: 99%

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Risk factors for suicide in later life

Conwell

Duberstein

Caine

2002

Biological Psychiatry

617

454

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Section: N May 2001 the Office Of The Surgeon General Of Thementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Older adults are less likely to endorse suicidal ideation than are younger subjects (Gallo et al 1994;Blazer et al 1986;Duberstein et al 1999). Estimates of the prevalence of suicidal ideation in older adults vary widely.…”

Section: Suicidal Ideationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors for suicide in later life

Conwell

Duberstein

Caine

2002

Biological Psychiatry

617

454

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“…While estimates of the prevalence of suicidal ideation in older adults vary widely, older adults are less likely to endorse suicidal ideation than are younger adults (Blazer, Bachar, & Manton, 1986;Duberstein et al, 1999). Epidemiologic studies suggest that approximately one out every six young adults (16%) describes having suicide ideation (Gaynes et al, 2004), yet, in a community survey conducted in Florida, less than 6% of persons age 60 years or older endorsed ever having had suicidal thoughts (Schwab, Warheit, & Holzer, 1972).…”

Section: Prevalence Of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors In Older Adultmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide in Older Adults: Nursing Assessment of Suicide Risk

Garand

Mitchell

Dietrick

et al. 2006

Issues in Mental Health Nursing

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A fundamental objective of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is the prevention of suicide in older adults, especially elderly males, because these individuals are at higher risk for suicide than any other age group. Furthermore, they are the fastest growing segment of the population. The suicide rates for older Caucasian men are particularly high. Because nurses play an important role in the identification of persons at risk for suicide, it is important that they be cognizant of the complex risk factors involved in late life suicide. Toward that end, we review the prevalence of suicidal behaviors in older adults and discuss risk factors that contribute to completed suicide in these individuals. Lastly, we discuss the role of nurses in the identification of older adults at risk for suicidal behavior so that life-saving treatment measures can be implemented.Older American's currently comprise about 13% of the population in the U.S., yet they account for 18% of all suicide deaths (Arias, Anderson, Kung, Murphy, & Kochanek, 2003). Suicide is the thirteenth leading cause of death in persons age 65 years or older (National Institute of Mental Health, 2004) and these individuals are at the highest risk for completed suicide. Furthermore, Caucasian men over the age of 85 have an especially high rate (59 per 100,000 persons) of completed suicide. Recognized as a major public health concern, the Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S. released the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action (Office of the Surgeon General, 1999). A central mandate of that strategy is the prevention of suicide in older adults because these individuals are at higher risk for suicide than any other age group and they are the fastest growing segment of the population (Arias et al., 2003 Older adults, however, present special challenges to suicide prevention efforts. For example, suicide and attempted suicide are often associated with depression, psychosis, and substance abuse among younger individuals, yet among older adults, depression and comorbid medical conditions play important contributory roles. (Alexopoulos, Bruce, Hull, Sirey, & Kakuma, 1999;Caine & Conwell, 2001;Conwell, Duberstein, & Caine, 2002;Miles, 1977;Pearson & Brown, 2000; Tuvey et al., 2002). Because nurses play a vital role in the identification of persons at risk for suicide, and the current "baby boom" cohort have substantially higher suicide rates than preceding generations (McIntosh, 1992), it is important to be cognizant of the complexity of risk factors associated with late life suicide. The purpose of this paper is to focus attention on the prevalence of suicidal behaviors in older adults and lay a foundation for understanding the role of risk factors in the prevention of suicide. We identify risk factors that contribute to completed suicide in these individuals and review the role of nurses in identifying older persons at risk for suicidal behavior so that life-saving treatment measures can be implemented.

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“…Thus, Merrill and Owens [1] point out that their study done in 1990 was the first one since the sixties to compare, according to age-group, the characteristics of people who attempted suicide. This negli gence in studying attempted suicide in the elderly does not seem justifiable, as this is pre cisely the age-group that presents higher sui cide rates [2], Besides, in view of the progres sive aging of the world's population, we shall no doubt see a considerable increase in the absolut number of geriatric suicides.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serious Suicide Attempts in the Elderly

et al. 1992

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A retrospective study was carried out including all those patients who, over the last 6 years (n = 257), required admission to our hospital for medical or surgical reasons following attempted suicide. The authors examined a series of clinical and demographic variables. Thirty-eight patients over 65 years of age were compared with 120 patients aged between 30 and 64 years and 99 aged under 30 years. When compared with the other two groups, a significantly higher proportion of elderly patients were widowed and showed affective disorders and concurrent physical illness.

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Suicide in Late Life: Review and Commentary

Cited by 116 publications

References 44 publications

Risk factors for suicide in later life

Risk factors for suicide in later life

Suicide in Older Adults: Nursing Assessment of Suicide Risk

Serious Suicide Attempts in the Elderly

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