Suicide as an Ideation, Gestures or Threats Essay

Suicide as an Ideation, Gestures or Threats - Essay Example Accordingly, one of the most common psychiatric disorders associated with suicide is major depression (Gliatto & Ria, 1999) and suicide among the elderly is likely to happen in the context of a depressive episode. Depression is identified as one of the most powerful independent risk factor associated with suicide in old age (Connor et. al., 2011) and is known to increase the risk of suicide by 15 to 20 times (Hawton, 2009). Furthermore, it has been found that depression rates are higher among women than in men, which is congruous with the case study. Other psychiatric conditions associated with suicide are substance abuse, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. Research suggests that genetic factors are highly related to a particular person risk for committing suicide. According to Reiss and Dombeck (2007), The offspring of individuals who have attempted and completed suicides have an increased likelihood to commit the same behavior themselves. Therefore, suicide â€Å"runs† in the family. In addition, it has been found that dysregulation of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis (mechanism responsible for coping with stresses over time) can develop following traumatic events or chronic stress, and has been linked to severe depression and suicidal behavior (Reiss & Dombeck, 2007). This supports the large body of evidence that dysfunctional neurotrophic signaling might be involved in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior. The prevalence of illnesses later in life contributes to the common assumption that the occurrence of physical ailments plays a significant role in suicide risk later in life. According to Hawton and Heeringen (2009), poor physical health and disabilities are associated with suicides. Suicide is consistently associated with social factors and age-related life events especially among the elderly. Lack of supportive social network and religious participation as well as family disputes, low level of education, financial difficulties and sense of loneliness greatly increases the risk for suicide (Connor, et. al 2011).