Suicide is not widespread among Singapore's elderly, representing less than 1 percent of the nation's elderly deaths. But Chia, a psychiatrist in private practice, believes that elderly suicide provides a reliable index of the physical and mental suffering of the elderly in society, an indicator that will become more important as the population ages. In a study of interest to psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, social workers, and clergy, he makes use of coroners' case files, suicide notes, survivor interviews, and other sources to analyze why some elders felt they had to kill themselves, and how their deaths might have been prevented. Distributed by ISBS. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Tags: age despair