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Suicide in Older Adults

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Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion

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Introduction

Contrary to popular beliefs that suicide is a phenomenon of youth, in developed countries, persons over age 65 usually have the highest suicide rates. Worldwide, suicide statistics indicate a dramatic increase in suicide rates with advanced age (World Health Organization, 2011). This association between suicide and old age is evident in the United States where the highest suicide rate for all age-gender-race groups is in white men over age 85(Maris, Berman, & Silverman, 2000). Men over age 85 had a suicide rate of 44.18 per 100,000 population in 2008, which is almost four times the rate for all other age groups (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2010). Despite the association between increased suicide risk and advanced age, few primary prevention programs focus upon older persons.

Definitions and Scope

Although life expectancy is increasing around the world, studies of suicide among the elderly have often lowered the threshold of “old age” below the...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, C. P. 8888, Succ Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Brian L. Mishara

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  1. Brian L. Mishara
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Correspondence to Brian L. Mishara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, New London, CT, USA

    Thomas P. Gullotta

  2. University of Connecticut, West Hartford, USA

    Martin Bloom

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Mishara, B.L. (2014). Suicide in Older Adults. In: Gullotta, T.P., Bloom, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention and Health Promotion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5999-6_278

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5999-6_278

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