African American females White females African American males White males Percent Age Groupings Older Suicide by Race and Gender, 1992
Risk Factors for Suicide in Late Adulthood Living alone and being socially isolated Experiencing financial difficulty Feeling depressed or useless Being alcohol or drug dependent Having a mental illness that reduces communication Suffering from chronic pain, illness, or incapacity Being unable to express grief or suffering Losing significant relationships due to the death of loved ones
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s Stages of Coping with Death Denial“Not me.” Anger“Why me?” Bargaining“Yes me, but...” Depression“Yes me.” Begin to mourn. Acceptance“My time is very close now, and it’s all right.” StageAssociated Feelings Source: Kubler-Ross, E. (1969), On death and dying, New York: MacMillan.
Ways in Which Culture Influences Death Concerns Affects the assessment of comfort needs of the dying and the kind of care provided Influences selection, perception, and evaluation of health care givers and their methods Shapes beliefs about causes of death. Determines the disposition of the body and funeral and burial rituals Patterns grief responses and bereavement roles. Source: Adapted from Ross (1994)