Noncompliance in the elderly: a pathway to suicide.
Current suicide statistics only represent a portion of suicides committed by the elderly. Indirect self-destructive behaviors (ISDBs) cause many more deaths than direct methods yet they often are ignored, misinterpreted, or unidentified. Medical noncompliance is identified as a form of ISDB, leading to diminished quality of life and an expedited death. While noncompliance occurs for a variety of reasons, it is a form of self-destruction for a portion of the elderly population. The nurse practitioner is in a unique role to identify ISDBs, as well as risk factors for developing these behaviors, and to construct methods for intervening and supporting those who wish to continue life.
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D000368:Aged; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016312:Treatment Refusal