Recent trends and developments in suicide prevention for older adults

KEY POINTS Suicide rates peak in late life yet few suicide prevention interventions have been adequately evaluated and found effective. Training of clinicians and gatekeepers, brief psychotherapies for at-risk older people, and aftercare for those who have self-harmed have best evidence of effect. Strategies to improve social connectedness have shown benefits on measures of social function and depression with limited evidence on improving suicide outcomes. Multi-layered multicomponent suicide prevention strategies that combine linked interventions may be the most effective approach. Strategies addressing ageism, coping mechanisms for men as they age, the impact of declining physical health on wellbeing, and the stresses upon caregivers are required.