Suicide and Suicide Prevention in Older Adults

Suicide and Suicide Prevention in Older Adults

Conference: 2014 Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention — Broadening the View • Extending the Reach

Friday, Mar 14, 2014
Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, Maine Workshop/Presentation: Keynote | Suicide and Suicide Prevention in Older Adults
Carol Podgorski, PhD, MPH, MS

In this plenary presentation, Dr. Podgorski will focus on a two-pronged approach to suicide prevention in older adults—promoting mental health and reducing risk factors. She will provide an overview of suicide in older adults, the risk factors for suicide, and the prevalence of mental disorders in community-dwelling older adults. She will also discuss how aging service professionals are well positioned to contribute to suicide prevention efforts in the populations they serve. Emphasis will be on interventions that aging service professionals can use in primary prevention of suicide by creating healthier communities for older adults.