Suicide in the Elderly (IN: Treatment of Suicidal Patients in Managed Care, ed. by J M Ellison)

The author addresses suicide risks in the elderly, highlighting the renewed interest in training primary care physicians in the diagnosis & treatment of depression that has resulted from the aging of the population & the increasing recruitment of seniors into managed care plans. The underdiagnosis & undertreatment of depression in the elderly is also noted. The author then describes a broad spectrum of preventative interventions to keep the elderly active, socially well supported, & depression free. (140 refs)