Peer support groups offered for elderly

Peer support groups offered for elderly
(November 2009 Issue)

By Ami Albernaz

To ease feelings of isolation and sadness in elders who have lost someone to suicide, the Massachusetts-based Cambridge Health Alliance is organizing facilitated peer support groups for towns around Boston.

According to the most recent statistics available on elder suicide from the National Institutes of Mental Health, 14.2 of every 100,000 people ages 65 and older died by suicide in 2006, higher than the 10.9 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population. Non-Hispanic white men ages 85 and older had an even higher rate, with 48 suicide deaths per 100,000. The risk of depression among the elderly increases with other illnesses and with declining ability to function, according to the NIMH.

A little over a year ago, a Massachusetts Department of Public Health suicide prevention program targeted resources for risk reduction among elders. DPH funding has helped the Cambridge Health Alliance's geriatric psychiatric program in organizing the free, non-clinical support groups, says Ross Kleiman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with the department of psychiatry at the Health Alliance.

"The experience of someone's suicide often leaves individuals close to them with thoughts and emotions that are difficult to share," Kleiman says. "The groups are designed to be safe places to explore those feelings and learn through other people that they're not alone."

For every suicide, at least six people are said to be affected, whether a spouse, relative, or close friend. For seniors, the suicide of someone close, whether recently or in the past, could compound other challenges associated with aging.

"Many people are trying to answer the question 'why,'" Kleiman says. "Those who experience a loss due to suicide sometimes harbor difficult feelings and questions. The support groups are designed to provide a supportive community for each member to address these issues in their own way."

The groups are open to seniors in the towns of Everett, Malden, Medford, and Revere. They meet in easily accessible community locations such as Council on Aging facilities and local religious institutions. (As of this writing, one group was active, with another in the works). The facilitator is a licensed clinical social worker with geriatric training.

For further information or to join a group, contact Peter Young, LICSW, at 617-591-6704.