Although the suicide rates of people over 60 continue to be consistently higher than those of younger age groups, relatively little research has scrutinized the phenomenon of geriatric suicide. Recent research is summarized and reviewed. Suggestions are offered for the direction and scope of future research. (Author)

Notes that practice of geriatrics frequently involves interdisciplinary team and that behavior of team members exists on functional continuum, from adaptive to maladaptive. Sees danger of team members with maladaptive behavior, and persons colluding with this behavior, negatively influencing care. Categorizes common maladaptive behavior patterns…

Explored the life-styles of elderly wanderers and nonwanderers in long-term care. Paired t-tests confirmed hypotheses indicating that wanderers had engaged in a higher level of social and leisure activities and had experienced more stressful events, motoric reactions to stress, and motoric behavioral styles prior to their illness. (Author)

Social variables that may be associated with mental health in geriatric severely mentally retarded individuals (N=10, mean age 59) were studied. The results indicated that as the frequency of staff resident noninteractions (while in physical proximity) increases, the amount of constructive behaviors exhibited by the clients decreases. (Author/PHR)

The effect of personal belongings on perceptions of the elderly in institutions was tested through color slides in two groups of medical students. The elderly person surrounded by personal belongings was perceived in a less negative way than the same person in bare surroundings. (Author)