Suicide in the elderly: are we heeding the warnings?

Old age is a time of losses--loss of social roles, of health, and of loved ones. Loneliness and severe depression often accompany these losses, making the elderly especially vulnerable to suicide. Among the warning signs to look for are changes in patterns of sleeping or eating, weight loss, extreme fatigue, increased preoccupation with bodily functions, increased alcohol consumption, mood or behavioral changes, and sudden interest or disinterest in religion. Many of these signal depression. Most of the elderly who commit suicide do so not long after visiting a physician. Thus, responsibility for prevention lies not only with family and friends of the suicidal elderly person but with the physician as well. Society also has a responsibility to value the status of its older members.