The Interpersonal Context of Suicide and Self-Harm in Later Life

One of my first psychotherapy patients during my fellowship in an outpatient geriatric psychiatry clinic was an 82 year-old woman who told me the following: “My doctor said I should come see you. He thinks I'm depressed. I see years of nothingness ahead. I don't want to live anymore and it seems logical I should feel that way.” A recent article in AJGP by Dr. Oliver Glass1 highlights the story of an 85-year-old woman who presented to the emergency d epartment with thoughts of wanting to die (but no intent for suicide) and a report of having not eaten for two days; she was admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit and prescribed an antidepressant.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Invited Perspective Source Type: research