Suicidal Behavior among the Elderly People

Abstract

In Polish society, the very word “suicide” evokes many extreme emotions in people, such as fear, uncertainty, but also hostility, and even reluctance and embarrassment. Sometimes it is sadness and regret. Most people prefer to avoid this topic and live under the illusion that this problem affects only a small part of the population. However, this phenomenon exists and affects all social and age groups to an increasing extent, including the elderly, who theoretically should enjoy life to the fullest. Suicidal behavior among seniors in recent years has become a growing problem, which systematically grows stronger every year, which is clearly confirmed by the increasing number of attempts and successful suicide attacks carried out by the elderly. The aim of this article is to present the scale of the suicide phenomenon among representatives of the age group over 65, with particular emphasis on the general outline of the issue, its etiology and symptomatology. The conclusion presents in detail the models of preventive interventions that take into account social, psychological, psychiatric, criminological and victimological factors that can effectively reduce the occurrence of the phenomenon in the discussed social group.