...In America the rates of suicide among the elderly aged 65 and older has continued to increase. Unassisted suicide is defined as a decision that is usually made in isolation by an individual who is often suffering from depression. Suicide has been prevalent throughout history. There are up to nine references about suicide in the Old Testament. The risks and the number of suicides increase more among the elderly aged 85 and older. The majority of the incidences occur due to the mental health issues of the individual. An obstacle faced by mental health professionals in reaching this group is that older adults usually prefer not to seek treatment for their mental health problems. The elderly are the fastest growing portion of the population,...
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...Interventions Suicide is defined as the intentional taking of one's own life. Depression, drugs and alcohol play a major factor in the cause for suicide amongst a wide range of individuals. Suicide is alarming in the United States and is seemingly robbing the vitality of individuals from 18 to 65 years old. Sadly there are multiple reasons for the attempts and success of suicide but with the stressor in society it makes it hard for one to address the underlying issues. Youth Suicide When it comes to suicide among our youth the numbers are alarming. Each year in the United States it has been estimated that around two million of our youth has attempted suicide and at least 700,000 have received some sort of medical attention for these attempts. According to one study performed by The Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System in 2001 alone 2.6% of all students reported making such an attempt which lead to treatment by a doctor or nurse. However it has been estimated that in the United States alone around 2,000 of our youth ranging from 10-19 years of age actually commit suicide. Also in 2000 suicide was the third cause of death among our young people ranging from 15 to 24years of age, which followed unintentional injuries and homicides (CDC Wonder). With this they provided some statistics for further review they are as follows: * The suicide rate for children aged 10-14years old was 1.5/100,000 or 300 deaths among 19,895,072 children in this age group. * The suicide rate...
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...Suicide and suicidal behaviors usually occur in people with one or more of the following: Bipolar disorder Borderline personality disorder Depression Drug or alcohol dependence Schizophrenia Stressful life issues, such as serious financial or relationship problems People who try to commit suicide are often trying to get away from a life situation that seems impossible to deal with. Many who make a suicide attempt are seeking relief from: Feeling ashamed, guilty, or like a burden to others Feeling like a victim Feelings of rejection, loss, or loneliness Suicidal behaviors may occur when there is a situation or event that the person finds overwhelming, such as: Aging (the elderly have the highest rate of suicide) Death of a loved one Dependence on drugs or alcohol Emotional trauma Serious physical illness Unemployment or money problems Risk factors for suicide in teenagers include: Access to guns Family member who committed suicide History of hurting themselves on purpose History of being neglected or abused Living in communities where there have been recent outbreaks of suicide in young people Romantic breakup Most suicide attempts do not result in death. Many of these attempts are done in a way that makes rescue possible. These attempts are often a cry for help. Some people attempt suicide in a way that is less likely to be fatal, such as poisoning or...
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...Suicide Among the Elderly: Symptoms that are ignored University of California, Irvine Professor Webster P117D November 27, 2007 Suicide among the elderly: Symptoms that are ignored More than 30,000 Americans every year commit suicide. A suicide happens every eighteen minutes. The highest rate of suicide of any age group occurs among the elderly. The elderly make up 12.6% of the population, yet they account for almost 18% of all the suicides. An elderly suicide occurs every 100 minutes. Suicide ranks as the eighth leading cause of death among those aged 65 and older (Noffsinger, Knoll). Firearms consist of the main method in which the elderly take their lives. The next two in line are overdosing and suffocation. White men over the age of 85 are at the greatest risk of all groups. In 1999, the suicide rate for these individuals was 59.6 per 100,000. 84% of all elderly suicides are men. The rate of suicide for women declines after age 60. Although older adults may attempt suicide less often, they have a higher completion rate. Contrary to popular belief, only about 2-4% of suicide victims were diagnosed with terminal illness at the time of their demise. 80% of all elderly victims of suicide have seen a primary care physician within six months of their suicide. Why is it that the suicide rates for older adults are much higher than every other age group? Depression is a key factor for the rates of suicide in the elderly. Depression is...
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...Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide Yes or No HCA322: Health Care Ethics and Medical Law Instructor: Keysha Knights July 22, 2013 Yes or No Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide (dying) , doctor-assisted dying (suicide), and more loosely termed mercy killing, basically means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable (persistent, unstoppable) suffering. Some interpret euthanasia as the practice of ending a life in a painless manner. Many disagree with this interpretation, because it needs to include a reference to intractable suffering (Nordqvist, 2010). When breaking down euthanasia there are two different types passive euthanasia and active euthanasia. Active euthanasia is a state where a patient is given a lethal injection, while passive euthanasia involves withdrawing life support systems from a patient (Anonymous, 2011). Active euthanasia basically is when the physician gives the patient medication to help end their life. Passive euthanasia is when treatments for the patient’s condition are stopped and ultimately ends in the patient’s death. When it comes to euthanasia or physician assisted suicide I can understand both sides of the debate but in the end I feel that it should be legal under certain circumstances. If a person is terminally ill I feel they should have the right to have a choice to end their life instead of suffering. A doctor’s job is to help the patient and their...
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...Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide Debate Marissa Burton HCA 322 Mark Metzger April 29, 2013 Dying has become a dilemma. The act of dying has transformed in recent technological advances by making it possible not only to lessen pain but also to extend life. However, when treatment fails and modern medicine has nothing more to present to patients, they may demand for a life ending act. When patients and their family become aware of the quality of life and a great deal of unbearable pain, conflict often introduces itself between health care professionals who are trained to save lives, and patients and their families, who desire to end all suffering. According to Pozgar (2013), the focal point of this conflict is on the concept of euthanasia and its position in the modern world. The issue has been at the middle of some very heated debates for many years (p.123). Euthanasia can be defined as the act or practice of terminating a person’s life in order to relieve them of their suffering from incurable conditions or diseases. Euthanasia is also known as “the mercy killing of the hopelessly ill, injured, or incapacitated”. The dividing of euthanasia into two categories, active and passive, is for many the most controversial aspect of this topic (Pozgar, 2013). Active euthanasia takes place when the medical professional, or another person, intentionally do something that causes the patient to die. Passive euthanasia takes place when the patient dies because the medical professional either...
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...around them is one of the most experienced crises of elderlies. They shared that they receive disrespect from their family and other people around them which includes physical, emotional or psychological maltreatment. With this experience, elderlies can be assisted using the following: Identify the types and indicators of elder abuse or maltreatment to help in the immediate referral or planning of appropriate interventions. Elder abuse or maltreatment may come in a variety of forms. The recognition of the types and indicators of elder abuse by Senior Citizens Association’s officials, trained volunteers or social worker may help in the immediate reporting and...
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...cognitive deficits, such as; behavioral disturbance and a change in personality. dementia is directly linked to elderly suicide attempts. It is important for us to become educated on dementia and its signs so that it can be detected earlier. The sooner dementia is detected the sooner the patient can receive professional care. We must ask ourselves what can be done to help the elderly suffering from dementia? Is it dementia that causes elderly depression and even suicide attempts? There are many unanswered questions on dementia that with a little extra research could be answered. Dementia has been around since the dawn...
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...Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide Debate HCA 322 Sonya Pedro 24 April 2011 Everybody is going to die sometime, but for some, serious medical conditions only prolong the wait upon their deathbed. From newborn infants with severe handicaps, to elderly men and women diagnosed with hopeless amnesia, euthanasia has found a place in society since society’s creation. In this paper I will focus on the controversial and difficult issue of assisted suicide or euthanasia. I will discuss my beliefs concerning euthanasia, to include the “special population” and identify the laws concerning physician-assisted suicide in the state of North Dakota. Euthanasia has its share of protesters, and there are some supporters who recognize the boundaries. Let’s discuss some of my beliefs concerning euthanasia. A person has become extremely ill and doesn't want to continue suffering, should he/she be forced to stay alive? Whose life is it anyways? Is it the family's life or the persons'? As our text explains, physician-assisted suicide occurs when the physician gives the patient a lethal dose of some medication, but the patient administers it him/herself. Euthanasia occurs when the physician carries out the final act. (Pozgar, 2010). Most families believe that they should be given the right to decide if they want to let their loved ones go, but in most cases it's not the family's choice. The decision to live or die usually rests with the individual, unless he/she is too ill to make...
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...completed suicide. Many people faced with suicidal ideation do not commit suicide but may have suicidal behavior or make suicide attempts. Most persons who commit suicide have a psychiatric disorder at the time of death. Suicidal behavior can be characterized as a spectrum that ranges from fleeting suicidal thoughts to completed suicide. Suicidal ideation is more common than suicide attempts or completed suicide. Findings from psychological autopsy studies have consistently indicated that more than 90 percent of completed suicides in all age groups are associated with psychiatric disorders. It is not the psychiatric disorder itself that increases the risk of completed suicide, but the combination of the psychiatric disorder and a stressor, such as the death of a loved one, separation, divorce or recent unemployment, symptoms of depression, hopelessness, severe anxiety, insomnia, or panic attacks. It is important to note that not all people who are diagnosed with a medical or mental health condition experience suicidal ideation and that all suicidal ideation and behavior should be taken seriously. Patients with schizophrenia are more likely to commit suicide during periods of remission, when they are apt to feel depressed and hopeless, than when they are frankly psychotic.7 Patients with panic disorder and borderline personality disorder who commit suicide also have comorbid major depression or substance abuse. SYNTHESIS Suicide is difficult...
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...M. Niedermeier Suicide among African Americans is a neglected topic. Social workers practice in both clinical and nonchnical settings, and as the largest occupational group of mental health professionals, they have a unique opportunity to reach this underserved group. However, little is known about social work's empirical knowledge base for recognition and treatment of suicidal behavior among African Americans.The authors performed a systematic critical review of published articles by social workers on African American suicide and suicidal behavior, to ascertain the state of social worker's contribution to and knowledge of suicide risk factors and effective treatments. They conducted Web-based (for example. Social Work Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed,JSTOR) and manual searches of suicide research conducted by social work investigators and pubhshed in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to 2005. References cited in the articles were used to identify candidate articles. According to the search results, social workers contributed only 11 empirical research articles focusing on African American suicide or nonfatal suicidal behavior. Risk factors for suicide are reviewed, and the implications for clinical social work practice and research are addressed. KEY WORDS: African Americans; clinical knowledge; ethnic minority populations; suicide S uicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide; in 2002 alone, approximately 877,000 deaths worldwide were due to suicide (World Health...
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...Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide Debate Of course we want our loved ones to be a part of our lives as long as possible and thanks to modern medical technology, the average human life span is about seventy-eight years. Yet, some of us get sick, diseased or injured in an accident and become comatose. When the medical condition of a person is deemed progressive, terminal and there is no hope of recovery, that person should be able to exercise the option of ending their life. Particularly, when that individual feels he or she cannot stand the suffering in the last stages of their disease. Moreover, if a person has sustained an injury where their brain is not functional or damaged beyond basic functions, euthanasia is an option to lengthy life-sustaining treatment methods that may be futile. However, euthanasia has been a debated topic since the Greek-written Hippocratic Oath. This Oath is one of the first statements of moral conduct where doctors and health care professionals profess to do no harm by practicing medicine ethically. There are many opinions that in certain special populations, such as minorities and the disabled, euthanasia and assisted suicide give ways to possible abuse of the health care system. The three states that that now allow assisted suicide are Washington (2008), Montana (2008), and Oregon (1994), euthanasia is still illegal in the United States. The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is the administration of the lethal drugs to...
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...is a “slippery slope” effect that has occurred where euthanasia has been first been legalized for only the terminally and later laws are changed to allow it for other people or to be done non-voluntarily. Opposition overcomes 48 point deficit to defeat assisted suicide - Ballot Question 2 in Massachusetts 1 1 0 Google BOSTON, Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a stunning upset, the voters of Massachusetts soundly defeated Ballot Question 2 on Election Day. Dealing a significant setback to the expansion of the assisted suicide movement throughout the United States by Compassion & Choices (the organization formerly known as the Hemlock Society), a diverse coalition of disability rights organizations, medical associations, nurses' groups, community leaders and faith-based organizations united in this effort. "Tonight was a huge victory for those of us in the disability rights community that have worked for so long against assisted suicide," noted John Kelly , Director of Second Thoughts – People with Disabilities Opposing Question 2. "This vote confirms that Massachusetts voters saw through the rhetoric and outright misinformation put out by those supporting assisted suicide. Opposition to assisted suicide cuts across all partisan and...
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...a large challenge within the population and from a health perspective. This essay will explore the social, cultural and psychological health related issues linked with growth in the aging population and will focus on the baby boomer generation and the co-morbidities that are notably prevalent in the elderly. This essay will also consider the future role of the nurse and how their profession will be impacted in response to these trends. WHY DO WE FACE AN AGING CRISIS? As fertility rates decline and longevity increases we are coming to face a shift in population distribution with a greater proportion of older adults (Anderson and Hussey, 2013). It is important to note that this increase is due particularly to the Baby Boomer generation growing older and associated aging co-morbidities on the rise. The Baby Boomer generation consists of those born from the years 1945-1964 (Berman et al., 2012). As this generation grows older the world is faced with a huge increase in older adults, greater than any generation before them. Because the population is living longer they are faced with a number of co-morbidities that are particularly prevalent in older adults. The elderly will experience physical deterioration more commonly than the younger to middle aged population. Changes in the sensory functioning are...
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...that through most religious or spiritual involvements there is a positive correlation between religiosity or spirituality and well-being (Koenig, 1995a; Levin, 1997). These establishments provide an environment that fosters prosocial and adaptive qualities, which increase positive mood and decrease stress (Donahue & Benson, 1995). Most religious or spiritual institutions serve as a support system for young adults and families, socially and emotionally. Religious or spiritual organizations offer individuals a sense of connectedness (Blaine & Croker, 1995), which has a positive effect on self-esteem and outlook on life. According to research, teenagers who have religious or spiritual affiliations are less likely of suicide ideation, suicide attempts, alcohol use, and sexual involvement, while being more likely to be involved in volunteer work (Varon & Riley, 1999). Research has also shown that those living through traumatic experiences have discovered that coping though a religious framework has been beneficial (Plante, Saucedo, & Rice, 2001). Miller and Thoresen (1999) has discovered “increasing spiritual and/or religious integration in psychotherapy has improved treatment outcome for religious clients.” Depression Research proposes that religiosity and spirituality are linked with reducing levels of depression on a general scale (Captipovic, Ilakovac, Durjancek, & Amidzc, 1995; Cosar, Kocal, Arikan, & Isik; Plante & Boccaccini, 1997). On the other...
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