Late-Life Suicide and Depression in the Primary Care Setting

This chapter reviews some of the characteristics of suicide in later life, older suicide victims’ prior contact with primary care, & suicidal ideation & attempts among older primary care patients. It discusses rates of depression among older primary care patients, including comorbid depressive symptoms with physical illness. The chapter also describes factors affecting the ability of practitioners to detect late-life depression in the primary care setting, attempts to use screening measures to improve detection, & improvements in treatment efforts. Finally, it suggests future research opportunities. (173 refs.)