Malaz Mohamed Nour, 2/16, 9:49, health and disease

Why are so many elderly Asians killing themselves?

The number of Asian elders over the age of 65 committing suicide is increasing dramatically. The positive correlation between the increasing number of suicide rate among elders in Asia and the economic growth is very ironic. In the other side, the rate is much slower or even stable in less developed countries in neighboring countries that are less developed. These high rates find their match in the developed countries belonging to the Organization For Economic Corporation and Development including the US who elderly suicide rate reached 14% in 2007. Specialist blamed the industrial society and the increasing population of elders that is causing their dependency ration to increase as the main cause. They urge the government to provide social services such as psychological counseling and medical care to prevent suicide.

This alarming situation and the rates that are increasing is a head up to developed chines countries in particular and the world in general. The rate of increasing elderly suicide, as mentioned in the article, is mainly caused by the increasing number of the elderly population that is unsupported financially and emotionally. China is a country of rapid development and grownups who in the past took care of large families, now find themselves in small, busy families. They are more likely to either be supported by 1 or younger adult in a family or are left to make living on their own: in both situations, those elders face loneliness and are probably and support and feel burden on their existing. The problems the elders face are perhaps emotional more than they are financial. The rapid change from the life in traditional houses with large families and agricultural communities to the nuclear family, after the one-child policy, and the busy life of factory workers in an industrialized national is what cause those elders to feel out of place. This situation is a factor that will extend to underdeveloped countries in the near future once their lifestyle becomes more “westernized “ and it will become a danger facing those who are already developed. Countries such as Vietnam and India regardless of cultural patterns are moving toward industrialization and such a problem will ultimately be under their social agenda.

 http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/140203/why-are-so-many-elderly-asians-killing-themselves