Published:
Suicide Prevention Group Delivers Much-Needed Message to Pennsylvania's Elderly
RADNOR, Pa., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, in recognition of National
Mental Health Month and Older Pennsylvanians Month, Feeling Blue Suicide
Prevention Council (SPC) will offer an important message to senior citizens
through a public service announcement. The public service announcement
developed by Feeling Blue SPC is intended to bring awareness to the public
health problem of depression and to offer hope to older Pennsylvanians who may
be feeling suicidal: You are not alone in your feelings of depression. There's
hope and there's help.
Older adults are the highest risk population in the country, but few
suicide prevention programs target them. Through a grant provided by the
Pennsylvania Department of Health, Feeling Blue SPC has been able to make this
objective possible.
"As a responsible society, we must ensure the mental health and well-being
of our older population," said Department of Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B.
Johnson. "We hope this announcement can help spread the message that
depression is not a 'normal' part of aging and that suicide can be prevented."
The statistics surrounding elderly suicide are alarming. According to the
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, a division of the U.S. Department of
Health & Human Services, risk factors for suicide among older persons differ
from those among the young. Elderly people are also more socially isolated.
Additionally, approximately three quarters of the older adults who die by
suicide have visited a physician within one month of taking their life.
Feeling Blue Suicide Prevention Council (SPC) is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to preventing suicide, reducing the stigma associated with suicide,
and supporting those people affected by depression or by the loss of a loved
one to suicide. They do this through education, training and linking people
with a variety of resources. For more information, visit www.feelingblue.org
or call 610-715-0076.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Heidi Bryan
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=61993
SOURCE Feeling Blue Suicide Prevention Council
Copyright © 2008, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze,
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