title: Suicide in later life: failed treatment or rational choice?
abstract: Suicide is the deliberate act of causing death by self-directed injurious behavior with intent to die. Assisted dying, also known as assisted suicide, involves others to help hasten death. Physician-assisted dying specifically refers to the participation of a physician in facilitating one's death by providing a lethal means. Any decision to actively end a life has profound emotional and psychological effects on survivors. The article discusses the effects that older adults' deaths through suicide, assisted dying, and physician-assisted dying have on survivors and the implications for clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. Electronic address: cwhitney@u.washington.edu.
authors.forename: Whitney L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: Thuan D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ong
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Depression; Geriatric; Physician-assisted dying; Primary care; Suicide