Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 73 People 65 years and older, particularly men, have the highest suicide rate of any other group. This contradicts a popular misconception that the highest rate is among the young. The Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) have had higher suicide rates than previous generations. They are amongst the largest population cohorts in Canada and have just begun entering the 65 and over age range. This could translate into a tremendous increase in suicides in the coming years. (Canadian Coalition for Mental Health, 2008) Men 65 and older have the highest suicide rate in Canada. Men 90 years and older have the highest rate of all - 33.1 per 100,000. (Statistics Canada, 2008) Suicide Attempts and Suicides Young people: 200+ attempts for every suicide General population: 100+ attempts for every suicide +65 adults: 2-4 attempts for every suicide (Marcus, 1996) Why? • Older adults’ intentions are harder to gauge - they tend to talk about it (suicide) less, display less equivocal warning signs • Social isolation – many live alone so there is less chance of survival in an attempt • Tend to use more lethal means (like firearms) when attempting suicide • Cause of death may be less rigorously investigated in older persons Centre for Suicide Prevention, Copyright 2013 © The Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) have had higher suicide rates than previous generations. ■ SUICIDE AMONG SENIORS
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