Suicide in Older Adults: An Evaluation of Predisposing Factors and Prevention Programs

2309 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays of suicide among elderly

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005), suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s own life. This mental health issue is common amongst older adults (Vanderhorst & McLaren, 2005). However, media reports regarding suicide tend to focus on adolescents (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005) states adolescents aged 15-19 years had the lowest suicide death rate (9.5 per 100,000); whereas adults aged 30-34 years had the highest suicide rate (27.5 per 100,000). Research indicates that the most successful age group for suicide is older people; one in four suicide attempts result in death (Beeston, 2006). There are factors that predispose older adults to become suicidal, such as; individual, family and community factors. However, there are prevention programs for suicide. Current prevention programs for suicide include different levels of prevention; reducing access to means of suicide; and improving treatment of older people with depression. The effectiveness of these programs will be explored.

An individual factor that predisposes older adults to become suicidal is the mental health of an older adult. An accepted definition of mental health is the level of emotional wellbeing or the absence of a mental disorder (WHO, 2010). Several studies (e.g., Uncapher, Gallagher-Thompson, Osgood & Bongar, 1998; & Neufeld & O’Rourke, 2009) explored the effects of mental health issues in relation to suicide in older adults. These studies found; feeling hopeless, depressed and impulsivity could lead to suicide related ideation. Uncapher, Gallagher-Thompson, Osgood & Bongar (1998) examined suicide related ideation in older adults. Suicidal ideation is a term used in regards to thoughts ab...

... middle of paper ...

...onal Review of Psychiatry, 12(1), 7-14. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.com

Uncapher, H., Gallagher-Thompson, D., Osgood, N. J., & Bongar, B. (1998). Hopelessness and suicidal ideation in older adults. The Gerontologist, 38(1), 62-70. Retrieved from http://0-gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org.library.vu.edu.au/content/38/1/62.full.pdf+html

Vanderhorst, R. K., & McLaren, S. (2005). Social relationships as predictors of depression and suicidal ideation in older adults.Aging & Mental Health, 9(6), 517-525. doi:10.1080/136007860500193062

World Health Organization. (2009). Mental health: a state of well-being 2009. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/

You, S., Van Orden, K., & Conner, K. R. (2010). Social connections and suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Psychology of Addicitive Behaviors, 1(25), 180-184. doi:10.1037/a0020936

Show More
Related

  • Functionalist Perspective On Suicide In The United States

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jazlyn Young April 8, 2018 Suicide in The United States Suicidal thoughts are the process of thinking about killing yourself and committing suicide. The individuals who experience suicidal thoughts do not always follow through, but there are enough individuals that do follow through to make this a social problem. The Centers for Disease Control, provide data on the prevalence of suicide within the United States. The data that is presented is from 2015. During this year, there were more suicides than homicides by almost double.

    Read More

  • Edna Pontellier's Suicide In The Awakening

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    People who commit suicide also have other risk factors. These factors include hopelessness, adverse events, impulsive-aggressive traits, and high severity of depressive syndrome (Isometsa 124). Just before Edna committed suicide she was think...

    Read More

  • The Epidemic of Male Suicide

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the past decade, suicide rates have been on the incline; especially among men. According to the New York Times (2013), “From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent… The suicid...

    Read More

  • Aboriginal People of Canada

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Joiner, Thomas E. et al. “Main Predictions of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior: Empirical Tests in Two Samples of Young Adults.” Journal of abnormal psychology 118.3 (2009): 634–646.

    Read More

  • Adolescent Suicide

    2596 Words  | 6 Pages

    In a study released by Brown University, their psychology department shed some light on common myths and facts surrounded suicide. These m...

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis on Edwidge Danticat’s A Wall of Fire Rising

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Michaelson, Peter. “A Hidden Reason for Suicidal Thoughts”(2013). Why We Suffer. n.pag. Web. 2 Apr. 2014

    Read More

  • Hopelessness: Concepts And Definitions Of Hopefulness

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hopelessness is directly associated with suicidal behavior and also with a variety of other dysfunctional personal characteristics (Fritsch et al, 2000). Previous suicide attempts and hopelessness are the most powerful clinical predictors of future completed suicide (Malone et al, 2000).

    Read More

  • Youth Suicide in Australia: A Report

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the mid to late 1990’s, youth suicide has become a common cause of death for young Australians (Carter 2010 para. 1). The government then acted and managed to reduce the suicide rate, which was a success (Carter 2010 para. 2). After decades, the problem was re-encountered and it became one of the leading causes of death for people under 25 years old in Australia surpassing car accidents and skin cancer (Power 2013 para. 1).

    Read More

  • Euthanasia Should Be Legal

    2051 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rurup, M. L., Pasman, H. R. W., Goedhart, J., Deeg, D. J. H., Kerkhof, A. J. F. M., & Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D. (2011). Understanding Why Older People Develop a Wish to Die. The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 32(4), 204-216.

    Read More

  • Risk Factors Of Suicide

    1911 Words  | 4 Pages

    Elderly suicide prevention receives minute focus even though suicide prevention is a significant public concern. People need to be educated about the elderly suicide issues and ways to detect to prevent suicide rate in elderly from increasing.

    Read More

  • Suicide Among The Elderly Essay

    2360 Words  | 5 Pages

    Suicide is a very tragic life event for the victim, victim’s friends and family members and to society as a whole. We often hear about suicide deaths that occur in younger and middle-aged adults in the media but rarely is such attention given to elderly suicide (65 and older). In the United States there is a higher rate of suicide amongst the elderly than in any other part of the population. There are many factors to this problem, however depression among the elderly was recorded as the major contributing factor that lead them to suicide. Every elderly that committed suicide was reported to have been depressed. Understanding the contributing factors that lead to depression amongst the elderly might shed light on the issue. Many studies have shown that depression coupled with risk factors increase tendency of suicide ideation among the elderly. Risk factors such as chronic illness, pain, physical and mental disabilities, isolation, loneliness, role change (retirement), lack of financial security and social support, bereavement, alcohol abuse, hopelessness and dependability have been pointed out as major contributing factors for the high number of depression experienced by the elderly. Society has identified depression and suicides among the elderly are a social problem, but little have been done to educate the public.

    Read More

  • Sociological Perspective On Teen Depression And Suicide

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Suicide and depression relates to structural functionalism because it is proven that social relationships may reduce an

    Read More

  • Suicide Prevention

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dokoupil, Tony. A. The "Suicide Epidemic" Newsweek Global 161.19 (2013): 1 Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Teenage Suicide

    1928 Words  | 4 Pages

    Now the eighth-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, suicide has become the subject of much recent focus. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, for instance, recently announced his Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, 1999, an initiative intended to increase public awareness, promote intervention strategies, and enhance research. The media, too, has been paying very close attention to the subject of suicide, writing articles and books and running news stories. Suicide among our nation’s youth, a population very vulnerable to self-destructive emotions, has perhaps received the most discussion of late. Maybe this is because teenage suicide seems the most tragic—lives lost before they’ve even started. Yet, while all of this recent focus is good, it’s only the beginning. We cannot continue to lose so many lives unnecessarily.

    Read More

  • Is Suicide the Solution?

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. Print. The. Suicide and Suicidal Behaviors. Suicide : Medline Plus.

    Read More

More about Suicide in Older Adults: An Evaluation of Predisposing Factors and Prevention Programs

Open Document