Standardized research protocols for the study of suicide must be developed and databases pooled in order to develop the large-scale studies necessary to understand this problem. By determining profiles of who is at risk, effective long-term prevention strategies can be developed. For example, we need to identify effective methods of training primary care givers, family members, and others in frequent contact with older adults to recognize early risk signs of suicide potential among older adults and to take appropriate action. Expanded research will also permit an understanding of ethnic differences in suicide rates, as well as strategies for effective suicide prevention in different ethnic groups. Problem 5 Anxiety disorders are at least as prevalent among older adults as depression, yet they have received less scientific and clinical attention.
Anxiety disorders constrain or severely impair the social functioning of affected older adults.
Effective psychological interventions for anxiety disorders among young adults have been developed, but their efficacy with older adults has not been fully established. Similarly, assessment techniques should be developed to diagnose anxiety disorders that are presented as physical symptoms or cognitive decline, since these types of problems may be viewed as more socially acceptable mechanisms for expressing emotional distress. Little is known about what combination of pharmacological therapies and psychotherapies are most effective for treating anxiety disorders in older adults. Adaptations of successful therapies for younger adults need to be evaluated for the range of anxiety problems experienced by older adults. We also need to document the psychophysiological reflections of brain and heart function, as well as the biochemical mechanisms that accompany the experience of heightened anxiety among normal older adults.