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Seniors Might Get Depression Help

(September 21, 2006) - With baby boomers entering their retirement years, Congress is looking for ways to cut the rate of suicide by people older than 65.

"It is a sad irony that as medical technology evolves to extend lives, seniors are choosing to end theirs," said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

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Almost 31,500 people committed suicide in the United States in 2003, the most recent number available. Of those, almost 5,300 were older than 65. Seniors made up 12.4% of the population but had 16.7% of the nation's suicides.

The rate of senior suicides per 100,000 people was down slightly in 2003, but the number of baby boomers has policy makers and public health experts concerned.

Since depression among seniors is a leading indicator of possible suicides, lawmakers want to make access to mental health care easier and less expensive for them and to find ways to get that care to them sooner and in settings where they will accept it.

Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., said a survey found that only 38% of seniors believed depression is a health problem; more than half responded that it was a normal part of aging. "Too many seniors still fall prey to depression," Kohl said. "Depression is not a normal part of aging, and it is treatable."

Smith said one way to tackle the issue is to improve seniors' access to mental health specialists by changing how Medicare treats reimbursements and co-pays for mental health care.

Physicians could help, too

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Medicare currently doesn't allow the nation's 124,000 state-licensed mental health counselors and therapists to be reimbursed for seeing seniors. It also has a 50% co-payment for mental health care instead of the 20% charged for all other health services.

Smith said he would pursue legislation to allow reimbursements and lower the co-pays.

"Depression at any age is a very real disease," said Smith, whose son committed suicide three years ago.

Researchers have found that one way to reduce the rate of senior suicides is to set up a system in which doctors can recognize signs of depression during office visits and have therapists available to begin treatment quickly.

"One-third of older adults who die from suicide have seen their primary-care physician in the week before their deaths, and 70% have seen their doctors within the prior month," said Dr. Christopher Colenda, dean of medicine at Texas A&M University.

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The problem of suicides by elderly people is huge, said Jim Mauro, the state executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for Ohio.

"With the baby boomers now moving toward that direction, it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue," Mauro said.

Source: Gannett News Service

Last updated: 9/06

Seniors Might Get Depression Help

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