Suicide Statistics

v The Elderly make up 12.3% of the population, They account for almost 17 % of all suicides.

v Suicidology.org Elderly Suicide Fact Sheet

v The rate of suicide for older adults for 2002
was 15.6 per 100,000

v Suicidology.org Elderly Suicide Fact Sheet

v There was one older adult suicide every 95 minutes.
v There were about 15 older adult suicides each day,
v resulting in 5,548 suicides in 2002 among those 65 and older.

v Suicidology.org Elderly Suicide Fact Sheet

v Older white males were at the highest risk with a rate of approximately 35 per 100,000 each year.
v White men > 85 Years old were greatest risk of all age-gender-race groups with rate of 51.1 per 100,000.
v That is 4.6 times the current rate for all age groups 11.0 per 100,000.
v Suicidology.org Elderly Suicide Fact Sheet

v 85% of older adult suicides were male, the number of male suicides in late life was 5.5 times greater than for female suicides.
v Suicidology.org Elderly Suicide Fact Sheet

Suicide Intervention
v Ask the “S” word
v Listen for details…
– Is there a plan?
– Is there history?
– What are their resources?

First aid for suicidality…
v Make a plan for safety based on the details.
v Stay with the person at risk until there is a safe disposition.