Family doctors should consider screening all elderly patients for suicidal feelings to bring down the numbers of over 65s taking their own lives, an expert in psychiatry has suggested.
Almost one in eight suicides in the State are among people aged over 60 and while there may be many contributory factors, including isolation and loneliness, one of the key factors is believed to be the incidence of undiagnosed depression among this age group.
Dr Brian Lawlor, professor of psychiatry of the elderly at St James's Hospital, Dublin, told the annual conference of the Irish Association of Suicidology in Limerick, that part of the problem was older people were less likely to volunteer that they were experiencing suicidal feelings than younger people.
"Clearly greater efforts must be made to actively detect these symptoms and a case could be made for routine questioning regarding life weariness, hopelessness and life satisfaction in elderly people presenting to primary care with physical symptoms," he said.
There were 413 suicides in the State in 2000 and 55 were among people aged over 60.
A paper presented on behalf of the Australian Institute for Suicide Prevention, said reduced hospital stays and resources could have an adverse effect on elderly suicide rates.