Covid-19 linked to suicide

ATTITUDES towards ageing, physical and social obstacles, and the impact of Covid-19 have all been linked to the high number of older people taking their own lives.

Professor Emeritus Diego De Leo, from Griffith University, said global rates of suicide had declined between 1998 and 2017, but that was probably due to improved access to health assistance and better quality of life, rather than anti-suicide programs.

“Suicide among older adults still has high rates,” he said.

“Frailty, physical illness, loss of autonomy and dependency, together with loss of a partner and friends are important risk factors for suicide in old age. Loneliness is destined to become a social epidemic and a major contributor to suicide ideation, and the pandemic has exacerbated both social isolation and loneliness.”

Research suggested it was conceivable that the pandemic had a negative impact on suicide in old age.

Ageism was also a “powerful barrier” to the proper care of older people, Prof De Leo said. So-called “silent suicide”, such as those due to voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, were generally not registered as suicide cases, he added. “The fight against stigma and the ageist way of thinking, which is pervasive in society, including among health professionals, must be pursued with great vigour,” Prof De Leo said.