Arizona’s silent crisis: Suicide risk among older adults

Carol Olson, MD, DFAPA

Submitted photo

If Someone You Know Needs Help

If you suspect a senior is struggling, encourage them to speak with their health care provider and share your concerns openly. If they’re in immediate danger, call 911 or take them to a local emergency room.

Resources in Arizona include local behavioral health centers, peer support groups and crisis services. Calling or texting 988 connects anyone in the U.S. to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. For more information, visit 988lifeline.org.

HEALTH

Seniors face mental health challenges

COMMUNITY

Suicide prevention presentation educates individuals at Sun City West church

MCSO

MCSO identifies people found with gunshot wounds in Sun City West

Suicide prevention is often framed around youth or working-age adults, but there’s another population too often left out of the conversation: older adults. Seniors face unique risk factors that can increase vulnerability to depression and suicidal thoughts, yet warning signs may be overlooked or dismissed as part of “normal aging.” That misconception can cost lives.

Understanding the risks

People 75 and older have the highest suicide rate of any age group in the U.S. This is not because older adults are more impulsive. In fact, it’s the opposite. Seniors often have more lethal plans and fewer chances for timely rescue, making early intervention even more critical.

There are several factors that contribute to higher risk:

• Many older adults are more socially isolated, especially after the loss of a spouse, sibling or lifelong friends.
• Seniors are more likely to face chronic pain and serious medical diagnoses that diminish quality of life.
• Functional decline common to this age group can limit independence, or the ability to participate in rewarding activities.
• There remains a stigma around mental health, leading older adults to resist treatment or view asking for help as weakness.

Spotting the signs

With attention and empathy, it’s possible to recognize the warning signs. Common red flags mirror those in younger populations: expressing hopelessness, giving away possessions or talking about being a burden. Others are more subtle: withdrawing from social groups, refusing medical care, skipping medications or neglecting hygiene.

Loved ones may notice a change in mood, sleep patterns or appetite. What might be dismissed as “just aging” could in fact be symptoms of depression, which is treatable at any age.

How families and communities can help

Suicide is preventable, regardless of age. Families, caregivers and neighbors play a crucial role.

Here are a few steps that can make a difference:

• Stay connected. Frequent calls, visits and invitations to community activities can combat isolation. A short daily check-in can help someone feel remembered and valued.
• Encourage open conversations. Talking directly about mental health, and even about suicide, might seem too forward. But it’s not. And it communicates that you care and that help is available.
• Remove barriers to care. Offer rides to doctor appointments, help navigate Medicare or insurance paperwork or research local support groups. Many seniors find the health care system daunting; patient advocates or family can bridge the gap.
• Normalize treatment. Just as we would never shame someone for seeking care for diabetes or heart disease, we must encourage counseling, support groups and medication management for depression.

Community organizations also have a role to play. Faith groups, senior centers and neighborhood associations can create safe spaces where older adults feel a sense of belonging. Primary care physicians and specialists should screen regularly for depression and ask questions about mood, loneliness and thoughts of self-harm.

We owe our older neighbors, parents and grandparents more than quiet sympathy. We owe them connection, dignity and timely access to care. Suicide in later life is not inevitable, and depression is not simply “part of aging.” With awareness and compassion, we can prevent these deaths and help seniors experience their later years with meaning and hope.

Editor’s note: Carol Olson, MD, DFAPA, chairs the Department of Psychiatry at Valleywise Health, a Phoenix-based public hospital and health care system serving Maricopa County. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.