Suicide and the older adult

Do we have the societal will to humanely provide for he needs of our older population? Are we willing to provide the support these people need even when they are terminally ill? Older adults have the highest rate of suicide in the U.S. and many other countries. Although it is often attributed to old age, terminal illness, or some other single characteristic, suicide in the elderly is a multidimensional malaise. This volume, originally published as a special issue of the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, provides a unique opportunity to understand suicide in the older population. The book features noted authorities in the field whose examinations of the topic represent the first orchestrated steps toward a deeper clinical understanding of this growing problem. Separate chapters examine epidemiology, biology, and social and economic correlates of suicide in the elderly. Suicide notes, gender, and environmental factors in long-term facilities are explored, as is the role of social support in the bereavement process of spouses surviving suicide or natural deaths. In addition, two chapters highlight the current debate on rational suicide. The position of the euthanasia movement is detailed and rational alternatives are discussed. Designed to be clinically relevant to the practitioner, the book features an illustrative case study that illuminates key issues raised in previous chapters. Dedicated to the notion that suicide in the older adult is a tragedy that can be averted with treatment, this book represents an important step in an area requiring greater clinical observation and scientific study.