“ Some tell us, "I have what I need at home; if I want to go through with it, I can..."On the SOS Amitié helpline, Catherine Krebs regularly spends time with elderly people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Sadness, boredom, or despair lead these seniors to call this organization. While mental health is becoming less taboo for many segments of the population, it remains a topic rarely associated with seniors.
As we get older, we tend to describe our elders as " grumblers" , " embittered " Or " closed off from themselves"But these turns of phrase could well be masking a real malaise. After age 60, one in seven older people lives with a mental disorder, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And more than a quarter of suicide deaths (27.21%) involve people over 60." Some mental illnesses appear at this age. Depression, in particular, is common in a population that has never seen a psychologist in their lives. Others have long-standing psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which they have suffered from for 20 years." explains Florian Porta Bonete, psychiatrist, head of department at the Charles Perrens hospital in Bordeaux and specializing in the support of the elderly.
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