Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide among Older Adults

Presenters: Chris Miara, M.S., Director of Training and Administration, SPRC
Rosalyn Blogier, LCSW-C, Public Health Advisor, SAMHSA
Yeates Conwell, M.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester
When: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 3:00 PM-4:30 PM Eastern Time

Brief description: Older adults die by suicide at a higher rate than the national average. Every year, more than 5,000 Americans over the age of 65 die by suicide, a death toll that is largely preventable. Elderly white men have the highest rate of suicide of all demographic groups in the U.S. Although suicide rates of older Americans have been slowly declining for many years, older men and women of every race continue to die by suicide, and the need for prevention is urgent. This webinar reviews the research associated with suicide among older adults, including risk and protective factors and effective suicide prevention strategies. In addition, this webinar will specifically address the issue of suicide risk and prevention in the context of community programs and residential facilities.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
1. Describe the scope of the problem, including risk and protective factors related to suicide among older adults
2. Summarize research findings regarding effective suicide prevention strategies for this population.
3. Report the key findings from focus groups and interviews with senior living center staff regarding their knowledge, attitudes and practices related to mental health promotion and suicide prevention.
4. Access a new toolkit funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration titled "Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide in Senior Living Communities.”

Additional resources to be referenced during the webinar:
Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Living Communities
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA10-4515

Register online
Space is limited. Please register at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/212444497
After you register, you will receive an e-mail containing information about how to participate in the webinar via the phone and internet. If you have any questions about your registration, please contact Tiffany Kim, SPRC Project Coordinator at 202-572-3717 or tkim@edc.org.