I was appalled to learn from The New York Times that suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade. This trend indicated that a generation of baby boomers, who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers, may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more people now die of suicide than in car accidents. In the past, suicides has typically been viewed as a problem associated with teenagers and the elderly. So, the surge in suicide rates among middle-aged Americans is surprising. From 1992 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans aged 35 to 64 increased by nearly 30 percent. The report also showed that although suicide rates are growing among both middle-aged genders, far more men take their own lives. The suicide rate for middle-aged men was 27.3 deaths per 100,000; while for women, it was 8.1 deaths per 100,000.

What’s even more disturbing is that the most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates jumped by close to 50 percent, to about 30 per 100,000. For women, the largest increase was seen in those ages 60 to 64, among whom rates increased by nearly 60 percent, to seven per 100,000.

In spite of the alarming rates, experts said that the number of suicides reported was too low. While there’s no conclusion as to why this is happening, CDC officials cited a number of possible explanations, particularly among boomers. “There may be something about this group, and how they think aobut life issues and their life choices that may make a difference,” said CDC’s Deputy Director, Dr. Ileana Arias. The rise in suicides may also stem from the economic downturn over the past decade. According to experts, historically, suicide rates rise during times of financial stress and economic setbacks. Dr. Arias also noted that baby-boomer men and women are often coping with the stress of the sandwich generation: caring for aging parents while still providing financial and emotional support to adult children.

In Canada, the rates of suicide have been fairly constant since the 1920s, averaging annually around twenty (males) and five (females) per 100,000 population, ranging from lows of 14 (males, 1944) and four (females, 1925, 1963) to peaks of 27 (males, 1977, 1982) and 10 (females, 1973). During the 2000s, Canada ranked 34th-highest overall among 107 nations’ suicide rates, and 17th among 34 OECD countries. Canadian males experience two periods over their lives when they are most likely to commit suicide — in their late 40s, and past the age of 90. For females, there is a single peak, in their early fifties. The peak male rates are 53 percent above the average for all ages, while for females, the peak is 72 percent greater.

Suicide rates in Quebec are higher than those in other provinces – twice as many as killed on the roads. The Quebec rate ranks about number five in the world – actually an improvement over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, like the rest of Canada, the suicide rate among baby boomers and elderly people is rising.

I’ve always been critical of the mainstream media painting a doom-and-gloom picture for boomers. However, not to focus on this alarming social issue is simply a denial. We should pay more attention to improving the mental health of boomers to curb this trend from continuing. Society should also focus more on the prevention and support for family members who have lost someone to suicide.

Canada may not be in as dire a situation as the U.S., but prevention is better than cure. Our economy is not getting any better and like our American counterparts, boomers now have more access to deadly prescription drugs. We should initiate more discussions about what causes depression and suicides among boomers and how to improve their mental well-being.

Photo Credit: Credit Valley Hospital

A friend in Shanghai, China, recently got very sick from food poisoning and refused to check herself into a local hospital because of her lack of confidence in China’s hospitals and the fear of being infected by the new H7N9 virus. To aging baby boomers, nothing is more important than our confidence in the accessibility and standards of healthcare facilities. That’s why the recent special report from the CBC’s the fifth estate, ranking Canadian hospitals, has been receiving so much attention.

The CBC Rate My Hospital special report assessed 239 facilities based on data reported by hospitals to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The report rated facilities only against others of the same size, as defined by CIHI. The public broadcaster rated hospitals on performance indicators that measure patient results after common medical and surgical procedures.

The report has awarded 10 hospitals across the country top grades as part of a Canadian national hospital performance report card. Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario, earned an A grade while Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre – which includes UBC Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital (teaching hospital) – is among eight hospitals across Canada which earned a D grade. Hospitals in Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan are represented in the top 10 in the CBC’s rating of acute-care facilities based on patient outcome data. According to a CBC news release, most hospitals (140) received a B grade, indicating their outcomes in measured areas are similar to those of a typical hospital of the same size.

CIHI uses 21 clinical and six financial indicators to measure hospital performances. CBC used five of those indicators for its study, looking at rates of: death after major surgery; surgical and medical patients who experienced unexpected complications tied to nursing care during a hospital stay; and patients who were readmitted following surgery or medical treatment.

Many CEOs of various regional hospitals being rated disageed with the ranking methodology. Others said they are helpful because they increase awareness that measurement matters.

The CBC has also launched a Rate My Hospital website to ask Canadians to check the ratings of their local hospitals as well as to rate them after receiving treatments. The website features the first Canada-wide hospital ratings tool for patients. On each hospital’s page, patients can score the facility on four key aspects — cleanliness, friendliness, timeliness and communication — plus give an overall recommendation.

Hospital ratings by patients have been in place for some time in the U.K. and the U.S. While history has proven that patients might not end up choosing their healthcare facilities according to these report cards, these public rankings have created some pressure for hospitals to improve their performances.

Like all other members of the service industry, healthcare facilities should not be exempt from consumer and client feedback about the quality of their services. I, for one, will certainly pay attention to the ratings and also participate in the survey should I have an unfortunate health crisis.

Music has always been a very important part of my life. Although I play no musical instrument, my passion for music is as strong as mine for food. From classical to rock and roll to jazz to R&B/soul to pop to hip-hop, the repertoire for appreciation is huge.

But a recent study conducted by two psychologists at Montreal’s McGill University indicated that listening to music is also good for the body’s immune system. In fact, the study published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Science, reported that music is more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before a surgery.

According to The Huffington Post, the co-authors of the study reviewed 400 published scientific papers and found that music had documented effects on brain chemistry and associated mental and physical health benefits in the areas of mood management, stress reduction, immunity boosting and as an aid to social bonding.

The review found 15 studies showing that people’s levels of a stress hormone called cortisol dropped after they listened to relaxing music, indicating a reduction in stress. Another group of studies found that older adults can boost their immune function and reverse age-related declines. Studies also showed that slower music tends to be more relaxing than faster music, but what’s most interesting is that familiar music is more relaxing, no matter what the type and tempo is.

According to another research conducted by scientists at Baycrest Health Sciences’ Rotman Research Institute and the University of Toronto, there is also a bi-directional relationship between how the brain perceives music and language. The Globe and Mail reported that while previous studies have found musical training can enhance language abilities, the latest findings suggest the opposite is true as well. Language experience can influence one’s ability to process music. Dr. Gavin Bidelman, an assistant professor at the University of Memphis, who led the study while at Baycrest, suggested that this two-directional relationship between music and language may be useful for developing training and rehabilitation programs for individuals with dysfunctional speech such as stroke patients and patients with aphasia, who have difficulties with language because of illness or trauma to the brain.

So as we boomers continue to age, perhaps we should try listening to more music that relaxes us or learn a new language that stimulates our brain. Or even better, try do both more often!