Elderly suicide rate down but experts worry downward trend may reverse




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Elderly suicide rate down but experts worry downward trend may reverse

By Joanne Leow, Channelneweasia.com

September 3, 2003

The number of elderly suicides in Singapore has dropped by more than half since a decade ago.

But experts are worried this downward trend may be reversed because of the downturn and aging population.
In the mid-1990s, Singapore's elderly suicide rate was the highest in the world, outside rural China.

But a 10-year study by local academics shows there has been a turnaround.

In 1990, there were about 40 suicides among every 100,000 elderly people. This is down to just 18 a decade later.

The reason: a national effort to address the needs of the elderly.

But more can be done, say the academics.

They want a national registry to monitor potentially suicidal elderly.

Said Professor Kua Ee Heok of the NUS' Department of Psychological Medicine: "If you see an elderly person who lives alone and is socially isolated and has physical health problems, chronic illness like a stroke or arthritis, that person is at risk. So it's important to identify that group of persons to refer them to the right agencies."

And social workers are worried the number of elderly suicide may go up again.

Especially because of the aging population, economic downturn and because the Singapore family is getting smaller.

Helen Ko, Consultant, SAGE Counselling Centre, said: "With an aging population we should be more careful and be more focused in our efforts. Singapore is changing so rapidly and with more elderly people and nuclearisation of families, smaller families. I think the economic burden is going to be very high on the few working adults supporting the elderly."

Ms Ko believes it is crucial to set up more social support services to pre-empt any crisis.

The Singapore Action Group of Elders or SAGE already has an Elderly Suicide Prevention Programme and a counselling centre which treats about 200 elderly people for depression every year.