TORONTO – Studies show that Canada’s elderly are at a much higher risk of suicide than adolescents, and there is growing concern among mental health experts that psychological care may be out of reach for most seniors.
Dr. Marnin Heisel, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Western Ontario, says lack of public awareness of the issue is a key problem that affects not only the elderly, but their families and the public in general.
Although this article reports on the problem in Canada, depression among older adults is by no means confined to that country.
As pointed out here, there is a need for public awareness about the issue of older adults and depression. Family and friends should be aware of what signs to look for and should not hesitate to discuss the issue with older friends and family members.
One interesting point here is the observation that suicide might sometimes pass for death by natural causes in this age group unless coroners, alerted by reports of depression, know to look specifically for signs of suicide on autopsy.