Affiliation:
1. Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski w Olsztynie Wydział Nauk Społecznych Instytut Nauk Pedagogicznych, Katedra Pedagogiki Społecznej i Metodologii Badań Edukacyjnych
Abstract
The article deals with the issue of suicides of the elderly, and the aim of the analysis has been reduced to two questions: what are the risk factors for suicides of the elderly? and what are the possibilities for preventing the suicidal behavior of seniors? The desk research method was used and 40 articles from countries such as South Korea, China, Taiwan, the United States, Canada, Ghana, New Zealand, Iran, Israel, Romania, Greece, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Spain were analyzed. Research indicates that the most common risk factors are mental disorders (mainly depression), physical diseases that reduce the quality of life, and social factors (loss of loved ones and disappearing ties with family). The possibilities of prevention come down primarily to treating mental disorders and physical diseases and creating national, comprehensive strategies for preventing suicide in seniors. The article also contains tips for social workers working with older people.
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