Rational Suicide in the Elderly

Robert E. McCue, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry; Program Director, Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry; New York University School of MedicineMeera Balasubramaniam, M.D., MPH Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine

• Introduction (McCue).- Elderly suicide through history (McCue).- Acceptability of elderly suicide across cultures.- Baby boomers and the wish to control life and death.- Can suicide in the elderly be rational? (Lawrence Nelson).- Clinical criteria for rational suicide in the elderly.- Who are the elderly who want to end their lives?.- Existential issues in late-life rational suicide.- Psychological issues in late-life rational suicide (Elissa Kolva).- Psychodynamic issues in late-life rational suicide (Balasubramaniam).- Terminal mental illness and the wish to die (Barbara Sommer).- The impact of spirituality on the rationality of suicide.- The impact of psychotherapy on the rationality of suicide (Elissa Kolva).- The impact of psychopharmacology on the rationality of suicide (Balasubramaniam).- Commentary.

“The book discusses the recent movement toward legislation in the United States and in some European countries to provide a legal framework for ‘assisted suicide.’ … the book’s major appeal will be to clinicians from both the mental and general health arenas who work with older and chronically ill individuals and to teachers interested in educating our trainees to work more collaboratively and empathically with older adults … .” (Ira M. Lesser, American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 174 (6), June, 2017)“Psychiatrists Robert E. McCue and Meera Balasubramaniam aim to provide a comprehensive overview of rational suicide among older adults, from the viewpoints of a variety of disciplines. … the authors get credit for tackling a difficult subject and assembling a set of chapters from diverse disciplines. This book is most likely to be of interest to readers who agree with the perspective that suicide in older adults who are not terminally ill can be rational.” (Amy Fiske and Julie Lutz, The Gerontologist, Vol. 57 (5), 2017)“The purpose is to provide clinicians with guidance in managing a small population of older adults who want to have control of when and how they die. … This book is intended for use by medical professionals who work with older adults, including geriatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, primary care doctors, hospitalists, palliative care specialists, educators, nurses, and social workers. … provides an excellent overview of this topic and is recommended for anyone prepared to work in this challenging, shifting clinical arena.” (Danielle L. Anderson, Doody's Book Reviews, March, 2016)