Suicide and Seniors

Did you know . . .

. . .That in Florida in 2002, twice as many people died from suicide (2,332) than died by homicide (1,004.)

. . .Pinellas County ranks 4th in the state number of suicide deaths. The ranking is Miami (218), Broward (217), Palm Beach (172), Pinellas (167), and Hillsborough (148). We have a lot of educating to do.

. . .Resident deaths by age group 2002 in Florida
55 - 64 . . .300
65 - 74 . . .225
75 - 84 . . .229
85+ . . . . . 90

. . .While adults age 65 and over comprise only 13 percent of the US population, they account for 20 percent of all suicide deaths.

. . .Suicidal elders often select a means of suicide (efficient and lethal) that does not permit intervention. That means we need to know how to recognize the behavior in time to intervene.

. . . Well over 75% of older people who completed suicide had recent contact with a physician.

. . . In the U.S., the ratio of completed to attempted suicide is 1:4 among the elderly, compared to 1:25 in the general population (MCIntosh, 1997.) Reasons include: Fraility of elders, soical isolation, lethal methods and stronger suicidal intent.

The Health and Wellness Program of the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco offers information and training on depression and suicide prevention. For more information, contact Gwen Lewis at 727-570-9696 or via email.

Suicide affects all of us. Let's Talk About It.