Why do you think the rate of elderly suicide is so high?

I am a female. I think the rate is high because they really believe that their life is no longer worth the effort and they are sick of the younger generation and the usual BS from the governments and all. Maybe they have just seen too much and know there isn't much left to see. All the good music has been created and there's nothing but junk around not, all the clothing styles are about what has been created before. The movies have gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. The world just has no more adventure for them.

Because there are a lot more elderly at the moment who have out lived their spouses, siblings, many have also outlived their children, the world around you has changed, everyone is younger and moving faster, you are say 85, 95, still of sound mind (because the mind stays young, even in Alzheimer patients, the past is there it is their short term memory that is mostly affected), but the body don't do like it use to, where would you chose to be. God Bless.

I have actually studied this in class.

22 Fem

The elderly often are left without spouses or family and friends for support. They're medical condition/general health is deteriorated, and they sometimes are not in the best of mental health. They may be dealing with pain as well. Some feel as if they are a burden.

I'm female, 56 years old and a retired nurse. I've seen elderly people thrive at 100 years old and sink into sorrow at 60. It's usually because they are in pain physically. Most elderly people do have pain however when it gets intolerable, anyone would wish to die, especially the elderly. As far as "being thrown in to a home" or "no one loves them", that's usually a bunch of crap. Most elderly people are basically the same in old age as they were in younger times: they might have abused everyone in their family in some way and that's why no one wants to deal with them. I've seen very few close families abandon their old members. I've also seen people thrive in nursing homes because they made friends and they love the scheduled activities and outings. I've never seen an elderly person commit suicide in all of my years of nursing. I've had patients ask me to let them die, but they never took their own lives. Thanks for asking a strong social situation question that allows us to examine our own feelings. Godloveya.

They lose their peers, aches and pains are faced daily, they generally have fixed incomes (usually low on income scale), and most wake up with no reason to get dressed. When you stop working you'd like to think that you can do anything you want, not if you don't have the financial resources. Once life loses it's purpose, you feel useless. And then you look back on your life, see that you didn't accomplish what you thought you would and depression is sure to follow. Growing old, sounds fun doesn't it?

female, 47

The dissociation theory in psychology plays more of a role here. They lose connectivity with the world and figure for some reason or another that life is not worth living in their present condition anymore.

Because nobody respects elders anymore. They have so much more experience then even forty or fifty year olds do and the always get shunned. Also because they get tossed in a home where you know it is hell. That is just my opinion though.

Male 17 years old

Loneliness comes first to mind. Like losing a spouse..

I am female and I will be danged if I am gonna give my age.. lol sorry

Because the elderly often have more medical problems, often more then the younger people.

female 55 years old

suicide in elderly is lonesome, their children forget or are to busy to bother with them, and their friends start dying off. it is no fun.