Year: 2007 Source: Primary Psychiatry, v.14, no.1, (2007), p.26-28, 31-34 SIEC No: 20101211

On September 14, 2006, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging conducted a hearing in which late-life suicide was called an epidemic by the chairman. The chairman & a colleague emphasized the contribution of mental illness, specifically depression, as a preventable cause of suicide among older Americans. They both emphasized primary care settings as the logical avenue through which improvements in depression care could lead to reduced rates of suicide in old age. This article reviews studies which evaluated efforts to reduce suicidality through improved depression care in primary practice settings. (26 refs.) JA