Researchers surveyed the records of 1,206 patients suffering from depression with melancholia or psychosis. The patients were followed up after 50 years. In that span of time, 116 of the 1,206 patients committed suicide. Of the 116, 16 were excluded as their depression was alcohol-related. Of the remaining 100, 60 attempted suicide 133 times, mostly close to hospital admission. Most of them took an overdose of pills. The research found that suicide attempts decreased with age (Anderson).
Some studies suggested that middle-aged women who stopped taking or never took hormone replacement therapy are more susceptible to depression (Busko 2008). Baby boomers are thus at a higher risk for drug abuse and depression as well as to increasing prescription drug abuse (Busko).
Methods
Most middle-aged White women committed suicide by poisoning at 19.3% per year
(Busko 2008). Suicide by hanging was 2.3% per year and by firearms, 1.9% per year. These were sourced from the web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System mortality reports from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On the other hand, middle-aged White men took their lives mostly by hanging or suffocation at 6.3% per year; by poisoning at 2.8% per year; and by firearms at 1.5% per year (Busko).
Another study conducted on examiner-certified suicides in New York City from 1990-1998 revealed that those 65 or older committed suicide by falling from tall buildings where they lived more than by other means (Abrams et al. 2005). Other places were bridges, health care facilities, hotels and public transit (Abrams et al.).
One more method is for competent, terminally ill patients to ask their physician to prescribe lethal amounts of medication (Walker 2001). This is called physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, based on the "right-to-die" concept. A study conducted on the legality of the practice found significant public support for legalizing this method and voluntary euthanasia in the United States. The only ground against it is an adherence to traditional physician morality and treating voluntary euthanasia legally as homicide. But if voluntary euthanasia is a medical choice, then legalization possibly exists. The study concluded that if the courts will allow physician-assisted suicide as a fundamental personal right of the patient, similar to the right to refuse treatment, they will likely extend this form of suicide to voluntary euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia. This means that the method may be applied to incapacitated patients...
Suicide Among Youth and Elderly Type of Diagnosis Epidemiological Diagnosis Behavioral Diagnosis Educational Diagnosis Contrary to overall trends, the suicide rate for youths 15 to 19 years old has increased over the last few decades. Suicide was still the third leading cause of death for young people 10 to 19 years old in 1998. (MoScicki, 1994) Suicide is extremely rare in young children, and lower among 10-to-14-year-olds than older teens. In 1998, white males accounted for 61%
Many experience depressions and sudden mood swings. The abuse of drugs -- prescription or illegal -- can also lead to disorientation, memory loss and having new difficulties in making decisions (Blow 2003). Given these effects, the recognition of drug abuse among the elderly population is quite an important task. The recognition of these symptoms, however, is made more complicated by the fact that many members of the elderly population already
suicide has been of interest from the beginning of Western civilization. For philosophers, clergy and social scientists, the subject raises myriad of conceptual, theological, moral, and psychological questions, such as What makes a person's behavior suicidal? What motivates such an action? Is suicide morally permissible, or even morally required in some extraordinary circumstances? Is suicidal behavior rational? How does suicide affect those that remain? The fictional books Virgin Suicides
Educator PerspectiveHow can community health efforts affect the leading causes of death for the adolescent and the young adult age group?Adolescents and young adults are at a critical juncture in their lives, when many health-related behaviors are established. Community health efforts that target this age group can have a significant impact on the leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults. The leading cause of death of these age
Adolescent Suicide Epidemiological Approach to the Study of Male Adolescent Suicide in Idaho Throughout history suicide has remained an enigma in cultures that are far and different from each other. The act of taking one's life has been a representation of religious beliefs, cultural attitudes, and the answer to pain and suffering. Although suicide is mainly frowned upon in the western world is such countries as Japan and India the act of
Rising Suicide Rates for South Korea | Public Health Issues A Socio-cultural Perspective on Rising Suicide Rate for South Koreans Suicide is an overarching social concern that affects all age groups. In recent years, there has been growing concern regarding the increasing rates of suicidal tendencies among adolescents. The Korea National Statistical Office reported that suicide numbers for ages 10 -- 29 years in South Korea (1,255) comprised 22.2% of the total number
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