One person dies by suicide every 11 minutes in the United States. Of the 50,000 people’s lives lost to suicide each year, nearly 10,500 – approx. 20% – are ages 65 and up. This World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, 2023, we’ll talk about how suicide impacts seniors, what factors increase the risk, and how we can help.

Suicide statistics for seniors

For people over age 65:

  • Firearms are the most common method of suicide for men (75%)
  • Poisoning is the most common method for women (40%)
  • Physical health problems are a factor in 50% of suicides
  • Compared to other age groups, seniors use more lethal suicide methods.

Language and suicide prevention

When talking about suicide, it’s important that we’re mindful of the language we use. Choosing our words wisely can help reduce stigma. This means that people who may be struggling will feel more comfortable confiding in us, and seeking help. The goal is to speak about suicide in a straightforward way, while keeping language neutral.

Instead of: Commit / committed suicide, which makes suicide sound like a crime, and implies it is a shameful act…

Say: die / died by suicide, which avoids judgment and blame

Instead of: Successful / unsuccess suicide attempt, which implies that it can be an accomplishment or failure…

Say: Fatal suicide attempt (or, again, died by suicide) / survived a suicide attempt

Instead of: Suicidal (e.g., she’s suicidal), which minimizes a person to their struggles…

Say: Having thoughts of suicide, which makes it clear that a person is more than their suicidal thoughts. This is called person-first language.

Suicide risk factors for seniors

  • Physical and mental illness
  • Recent changes, like retirement or death of loved ones
  • Depression
  • Loss of independence
  • Loneliness and social isolation
  • Ageism and the associated feelings of being a burden
  • Financial difficulty
  • Previous suicide attempts

Signs someone is thinking about suicide

Regardless of age, there are common signs that someone is thinking about suicide.

  • Talking about being a burden to others
  • Increased use of drugs and alcohol
  • Expressing feelings of being trapped or in inescapable pain
  • Withdrawing from loved ones and activities that were once enjoyed
  • Talking about feeling hopeless and believing that it won’t get better
  • Changes in mood that aren’t normal for a specific person, like rage, anxiety, or sadness
  • Sudden changes to sleeping and eating habits
  • Participating in high-risk behaviors, like reckless driving or refusing to eat
  • Making a suicide plan, like gathering materials (guns, pills, etc.), or researching methods
  • Talking about wanting to die, or threatening suicide

How to help

Once we’re able to recognize the signs that someone is considering suicide, we should:

  • Express our concern in an empathetic, genuine way, e.g., “I’m really worried about you”
  • Ask directly if they’re thinking about suicide, e.g., “Are you thinking about suicide”? This may be uncomfortable, but it gives them the chance to talk about it. We should pick a time and location that’s private.
  • Ask if they have a suicide plan and access to items they can hurt themselves with. When possible, we should remove these items for their safety.
  • If they are thinking about suicide, we should remain calm and react in a supportive, caring way.
  • If they aren’t in immediate danger (i.e., they’re thinking about suicide but don’t have a plan), we should encourage them to seek support. We can even offer to sit with them as they call a suicide hotline or counsellor.
  • If they’re in immediate danger (i.e., they have a plan or are attempting to harm themselves), we should never leave them alone. Tell someone what’s happening, and take them to the emergency room (or call 9-11).

If you’re having thoughts of suicide, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Toll-free. Available 24/7, nationwide.

  • Phone: 988 (dial to call, or text to chat via text message)
  • To call a Spanish-speaking crisis counselor, dial 988 and then press 2. Text AYUDA to 988 to message a Spanish-speaking counselor.
  • For TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.955008/full

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9581207/

https://www.ncoa.org/article/suicide-and-older-adults-what-you-should-know

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-021-00160-1

https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/words-matter-suicide-language-guide.pdf

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11352-recognizing-suicidal-behavior