Reid offers anti-suicide bill

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, whose gold miner father committed suicide at age 58, is sponsoring legislation aimed at combating suicide among seniors. Suicide rates are higher in Nevada than any other state, particularly among older people.

The Nevada Democrat had a news conference Wednesday to discuss the Stop Senior Suicide Act, which would create new grants for suicide prevention work with older Americans and grants to lower the rate under Medicare for outpatient mental health services, among other measures.

"This Stop Senior Suicide Act is a multi-pronged approach to see if we can save a few lives," said Reid, who for years didn't discuss his father's 1972 death.

Reid publicly disclosed it at a Senate hearing in 1997 after being moved by the testimony of other witnesses. Reid's father, also named Harry, shot himself to death; Reid was 32 at the time.

"For many years, it was just one of those unpleasant memories that I didn't allow to surface, and I've found that's very typical," Reid said.

"One thing I've learned about suicide is you're not lonely" because others also have friends or relatives who have killed themselves, he said.

Nevada's overall suicide rate was 19.9 per 100,000 in 2005 compared with 11 per 100,000 nationwide, according to the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA who joined Reid on Wednesday.

Among people over 60, Nevada's rate was 35 per 100,000, compared with about 14.5 per 100,000 nationally.

Rates are higher overall in the mountain West than on the East Coast for reasons that might include isolation, limited integration and access to firearms, according to Jerry Reed, an official with the suicide prevention group.

Reed used to work for Reid and just completed a study on suicide in older Americans.

The bill is being sponsored in the House by Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.