September 14th, 2006	Contact: Kimberly Collins Phone: 202-224-5364
A GENERATION AT RISK: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF SENIOR SUICIDE
To address the alarming trend of senior suicide in America, Chairman Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) convened the Senate Special on Aging to identify ways to improve mental health care for seniors. Currently, it is estimated that there is approximately one suicide every hour and a half for adults 65 years and older in the United States. Seniors also have the highest completion rate of suicides. “It is a sad irony that as medical technology evolves to extend lives, seniors are choosing to end theirs,” said Chairman Smith. “Retirement should be a time to relax, travel and spend time with family. Unfortunately, seniors often are exposed to circumstances that can lead to depression- such as social isolation, physical illness and the death of loved ones. I think it is very important that we understand that depression is neither a weakness nor a normal part of aging. Depression at any age is a very real disease. No one should suffer in silence.” Committee members heard testimony from the following: David C. Steffens, M.D., M.H.S., Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine, Head, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry Duke University Medical Center, IMPACT Chief investigator; Christopher C. Colenda, M.D., M.P.H., Dean of Medicine, Texas A&M; Medical School; Mel Kohn, M.D., State of Oregon Epidemiologist Administrator, DHS Office of Disease Control and Prevention; David Shern, M.D., President and CEO, National Mental Health Association; and Art Walaszek, M.D., Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health The hearing coincided with the release of the “Improving Mood–Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment” (IMPACT) study by University of Washington professor Jurgen Unuzter and Duke University professor David Steffens. The study is the first to examine the benefit of intervention and treatment of depression in a primary care setting while allowing the primary care physician to remain in charge of all final treatment decisions. The study concluded that mental health care in a primary care setting had a significant influence on lowering suicidal ideation in older Americans.
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