Suicide And The Older Adult

This book provides a comprehensive view of rational suicide in the elderly, a group that has nearly twice the rate of suicide when chronically ill than any other demographic. Its frame of reference does not endorse a single point-of-view about the legitimacy of rational suicide, which is evolving across societies with little guidance for geriatric mental health professionals. Instead, it serves as a resource for both those clinicians who agree that older people may rationally commit suicide and those who believe that this wish may require further assessment and treatment. The first chapters of the book provides an overview of rational suicide in the elderly, examining it through history and across cultures also addressing the special case of baby boomers. This book takes an ethical and philosophical look at whether suicide can truly be rational and whether the nearness of death in late-life adults means that suicide should be considered differently than in younger adults. Clinical criteria for rational suicide in the elderly are proposed in this book for the first time, as well as a guidelines for the psychosocial profile of an older adult who wants to commit rational suicide. Unlike any other book, this text examines the existential, psychological, and psychodynamic perspectives. A chapter on terminal mental illness and a consideration of suicide in that context and proposed interventions even without a diagnosable mental illness also plays a vital role in this book as these are key issues in within the question of suicide among the elderly. This book is the first to consider all preventative measures, including the spiritual as well as the psychotherapeutic, and pharmacologic. A commentary on modern society, aging, and rational suicide that ties all of these elements together, making this the ultimate guide for addressing suicide among the elderly. Rational Suicide in the Elderly is an excellent resource for all medical professionals with potentially suicidal patients, including geriatricians, geriatric and general psychiatrists, geriatric nurses, social workers, and public health officials.

A practical and easy-to-use guide for healthcare professionals on the prevention, assessment and treatment of people at risk of suicide.

Part of the authoritative Oxford Textbooks in Psychiatry series, the new edition of the Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention remains a key text in the field of suicidology, fully updated with new chapters devoted to major psychiatric disorders and their relation to suicide.

Published simultaneously as a special issue of the journal Suicide and life-threatening behavior (v.22, no.1, Spring 1992), this volume features noted authorities in the field whose examinations of the topic represent the first orchestrated steps toward a deeper clinical understanding of suicide in

With recent studies using genetic, epigenetic, and other molecular and neurochemical approaches, a new era has begun in understanding pathophysiology of suicide. Emerging evidence suggests that neurobiological factors are not only critical in providing potential risk factors but also provide a promising approach to develop more effective treatment and prevention strategies. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide discusses the most recent findings in suicide neurobiology. Psychological, psychosocial, and cultural factors are important in determining the risk factors for suicide; however, they offer weak prediction and can be of little clinical use. Interestingly, cognitive characteristics are different among depressed suicidal and depressed nonsuicidal subjects, and could be involved in the development of suicidal behavior. The characterization of the neurobiological basis of suicide is in delineating the risk factors associated with suicide. The Neurobiological Basis of Suicide focuses on how and why these neurobiological factors are crucial in the pathogenic mechanisms of suicidal behavior and how these findings can be transformed into potential therapeutic applications.

Cultural aspects of aging, suicide among the elderly, and euthanasia are addressed in this collection of work by contributors in psychiatry, suicide research, and medical ethics. Chapters overview the relationship between socio-economic, psychological, and family factors and suicidal behavior and look at physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. The role of the elderly and attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide are described in nine countries, including Japan, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Hong Kong, and Australia. This work lacks a subject index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR.

For many, the "golden years" are so tarnished they long for an ending. All too often, those who are closest to the elderly miss the warning signs. Here Nancy Osgood describes the symptoms to watch for and addresses the question of how we as a nation can change our attitudes and behavior toward the elderly and take steps to help reduce their risk of suicide.