A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021)
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of life in the United States and around the world. This is particularly true for marginalized and vulnerable groups who face disproportionate levels of violence and premature death within their communities. While general impacts of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Forensic Science International: Synergy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X24000019 |
| _version_ | 1797348661000142848 |
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| author | Katherine Gaddis Katharine C. Woollen Liam J. Johnson Taylor Flaherty Jennifer F. Byrnes |
| author_facet | Katherine Gaddis Katharine C. Woollen Liam J. Johnson Taylor Flaherty Jennifer F. Byrnes |
| author_sort | Katherine Gaddis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of life in the United States and around the world. This is particularly true for marginalized and vulnerable groups who face disproportionate levels of violence and premature death within their communities. While general impacts of the pandemic have been well-studied overall, little has been done to examine the correlation between COVID-19 and the risk of suicide among older adults. Older adults are particularly at risk because they face challenges including ageism, inadequate support systems, unreliable transportation, and frequent social isolation. Medicolegal casework offers a unique vantage of these issues, as it aims to identify manner of death which may be influenced by underlying structural vulnerabilities. The current research draws upon data collected from the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. A sample of 871 older adults (aged 50+), whose manner of death was deemed a suicide between the years 2017–2021, were included in this analysis. Statistical analyses investigated differences between adults aged 50–64, 65–84, and 85+ years. Results suggest statistically significant changes in mechanism of death between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, indicating a shift in risk factors related to social isolation and the home environment. Understanding such changes in trends directly affects the interpretation of skeletal data in forensic anthropology and thus, should be taken into consideration when developing structural vulnerability profiles. Furthermore, the inclusion of a structural vulnerability approach in forensic case reports has the potential to provide additional context for deaths by suicide and may help develop policies and procedures for mitigating future risk. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:09:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d1db614e3e0848d08bd5ae90e8436ff4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-871X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:09:06Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forensic Science International: Synergy |
| spelling | doaj.art-d1db614e3e0848d08bd5ae90e8436ff42024-01-23T04:16:24ZengElsevierForensic Science International: Synergy2589-871X2024-01-018100454A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021)Katherine Gaddis0Katharine C. Woollen1Liam J. Johnson2Taylor Flaherty3Jennifer F. Byrnes4Corresponding author.; University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USAUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USAUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USAUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USAUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USAThe ongoing SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of life in the United States and around the world. This is particularly true for marginalized and vulnerable groups who face disproportionate levels of violence and premature death within their communities. While general impacts of the pandemic have been well-studied overall, little has been done to examine the correlation between COVID-19 and the risk of suicide among older adults. Older adults are particularly at risk because they face challenges including ageism, inadequate support systems, unreliable transportation, and frequent social isolation. Medicolegal casework offers a unique vantage of these issues, as it aims to identify manner of death which may be influenced by underlying structural vulnerabilities. The current research draws upon data collected from the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. A sample of 871 older adults (aged 50+), whose manner of death was deemed a suicide between the years 2017–2021, were included in this analysis. Statistical analyses investigated differences between adults aged 50–64, 65–84, and 85+ years. Results suggest statistically significant changes in mechanism of death between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, indicating a shift in risk factors related to social isolation and the home environment. Understanding such changes in trends directly affects the interpretation of skeletal data in forensic anthropology and thus, should be taken into consideration when developing structural vulnerability profiles. Furthermore, the inclusion of a structural vulnerability approach in forensic case reports has the potential to provide additional context for deaths by suicide and may help develop policies and procedures for mitigating future risk.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X24000019Structural vulnerabilityOlder adultsSuicideCOVID-19Southern Nevada |
| spellingShingle | Katherine Gaddis Katharine C. Woollen Liam J. Johnson Taylor Flaherty Jennifer F. Byrnes A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021) Forensic Science International: Synergy Structural vulnerability Older adults Suicide COVID-19 Southern Nevada |
| title | A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021) |
| title_full | A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021) |
| title_fullStr | A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021) |
| title_short | A structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides: Trends and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Clark County, NV (2017–2021) |
| title_sort | structural vulnerability approach to older adult suicides trends and potential impacts of the covid 19 pandemic in clark county nv 2017 2021 |
| topic | Structural vulnerability Older adults Suicide COVID-19 Southern Nevada |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X24000019 |
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