Raising
Awareness about Elderly Suicide
State of the Art, Inc. is developing
an awareness and education campaign on older adults
and suicide. According to the most recent statistics
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
in 1997, suicide was the 8th leading cause of death
in the United States and the 14th leading cause of
death for older adults, 65 years and older. Compared
to all other age groups, older adults had the highest
incidence rate for suicide; and even though older adults
made up 12.7% of the population, they accounted for
18.8% of all suicide deaths. In addition, older adults
tended to use highly lethal methods to take their own
lives. As a result, older adults have a 4:1 ratio of
attempted to completed suicides, compared to overall
ratio of 25:1. Associated with elderly suicide is the
tragedy of homicide-suicide, an event during which
an individual takes his/her partner’s life before
taking his/her own life. Older adults have homicide-suicide
rates twice as high as their younger counterparts.
More than 500 homicide-suicides, accounting for more
than 1000 deaths, occur in adults 55 years or older
each year. In 1999, Surgeon General David Satcher issued
a report and Call to Action on suicide, calling it
a “significant health problem” that the
nation must address. With the population of older adults
growing, it is crucial to raise awareness among older
adults, their caregivers, and providers so that they
are able to recognize the predisposing risk factors
and predictors of elderly suicide.
With funding from the National Institute
of Health, State of Art has completed prototype materials
to raise awareness about elderly suicide. The materials
will include: 1) a video component, companion booklet
and broadcast show (for PBS, broadcast networks or
HBO) targeted to older adults, their caregivers and
family members and 2) a video component and companion
booklet with CME and CUE credits targeted to primary
care providers. The entire project will be a risk communication
campaign to provide education for and raise awareness
about the predisposing risk factors and predictors
of elderly suicide. The goals of the materials are
(1) to educate about elderly suicide and its risk factors,
such as depression, hopelessness, and social isolation
(2) to educate and motivate older adults to seek treatment
for these risk factors, and (3) to motivate caregivers
and family members of older adults to help them seek
treatment for these risk factors. The video will show
real older adults who have coped successfully with
their risk factors, and who will talk about how they
overcame barriers such as stigma to access treatment.
The message will focus on the fact that depression
and suicidal ideation are not a normal part of aging,
and that effective treatment and help are available.
The materials will encourage caregivers
to be aware of the risk factors for suicide in older
people, and the available treatments for these risk
factors. The companion booklet will reinforce the messages
from the video and provide contact information for
support.
Project Board of Advisors:
- Patrick Arbore, Ed.D., Director, Center for Elderly
Suicide Prevention; San Francisco, CA.
- Donna Cohen, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Aging
and Mental Health, University of South Florida; Tampa,
FL.
- Yeates Conwell, M.D., University of Rochester Medical
Center; Rochester, NY.
- Nancy Osgood, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Sociology
and Gerontology, Virginia Commonwealth University;
Richmond, VA.
- Vicki Schmall, Ph.D., President, Aging Concerns;
West Linn, OR.
Raising Awareness about Elderly Suicide will be distributed
through physicians, senior centers, hospitals, HMOs,
etc. We also hope to develop a nationwide TV broadcast
of these materials.
For more information or to become involved, please contact:
State of the Art, Inc.
phone: (202) 537-0818
fax: (202)-537-0828
Confidential and Proprietary |
