Osgood N J
Postgrad Med. 1982 Aug;72(2):123-30. doi: 10.1080/00325481.1982.11716158.
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.
老年是一个充满失去的时期——失去社会角色、健康以及亲人。孤独和严重的抑郁常常伴随着这些失去，使老年人特别容易自杀。需要留意的警示信号包括睡眠或饮食模式的改变、体重减轻、极度疲劳、对身体机能的过度关注增加、饮酒量增加、情绪或行为变化，以及对宗教突然感兴趣或不感兴趣。其中许多都表明有抑郁症。大多数自杀的老年人在看医生后不久就这么做了。因此，预防的责任不仅在于有自杀倾向的老年人的家人和朋友，医生也有责任。社会也有责任重视其老年成员的地位。
