Suicide and self‐harm in older people

Suicide is a tragic cause of death and causes considerable distress for families, carers and healthcare professionals. Thankfully, suicide rates in older people in the UK have steadily declined for both men and women since the mid‐1980s. An understanding of the clinical and demographic characteristics of both completed suicide and non‐fatal self‐harm in older people is important in informing the development of preventative strategies to sustain this decline. Non‐fatal self‐harm in older people is relatively uncommon compared with younger age groups, but research indicates that self‐harm among older people is frequently a failed attempt at suicide. Thus, the important factors associated with self‐harm in this age group are similar to those linked with completed suicide, particularly high rates of clinical depression, poor physical health and social isolation. Unfortunately, there is also a high rate of subsequent completed suicide. For this reason, self‐harm in later life needs to be taken very seriously and a careful assessment of risk and need by a specialist in older people's mental health should be conducted. The identification and appropriate management of older people with depression in the community and general hospitals is a key area for the prevention of self‐harm and suicide in this age group and requires further attention, particularly with targeted support programmes for those at high risk.