Eventually the person becomes so depressed that suicide seems to be the only alternative. As mentioned earlier, men are at higher risk of committing suicide in late life than women although women have a higher reported rate of depression than do men. Some slowing of the five senses is expected and so we are not surprised when an elderly person loses their appetite or sleeps later in the day. Stress is another factor involved in the choice of suicide. These include such stressors as the death of a spouse or close friend, or having to care for a relative who is ill or otherwise incapacitated.
Substance abuse can also induce suicide.
Alcohol is a depressant and can exacerbate already depressed feelings of loss and despair. The effects of alcohol on the elderly can be even more acute due to the changes in metabolism that occur with aging. These changes make the elderly person more susceptible to the depressive effects of alcohol. However, it is important to understand that depression can be treated, if diagnosed early, with counsel and antidepressant drugs. The National of Health Consensus Development Conference in 1991 listed four specific benefits of early recognition and treatment of depression in the elderly.