According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005), suicide is the act of intentionally killing oneself. This mental health problem is common among older adults (Vanderhorst & McLaren, 2005). However, media reporting on suicide tends to focus on adolescents (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005) reports that adolescents aged 15 to 19 had the lowest rate of suicide deaths (9.5 per 100,000); while adults aged 30 to 34 had the highest suicide rate (27.5 per 100,000). Research indicates that the most successful age group at suicide is the elderly; one in four suicide attempts results in death (Beeston, 2006). There are factors that predispose older adults to become suicidal, such as: individual, family and community factors. However, there are suicide prevention programs. Current suicide prevention programs include different levels of prevention; reduce access to means of committing suicide; and improve the treatment of older people suffering from depression. The effectiveness of these programs will be explored. An individual factor that predisposes older adults to becoming suicidal is an older person's mental health. An accepted definition of mental health is the level of emotional well-being or the absence of mental disorder (WHO, 2010). Several studies (e.g., Uncapher, Gallagher-Thompson, Osgood, & Bongar, 1998; and Neufeld & O'Rourke, 2009) have explored the effects of mental health problems in relation to suicide among older adults. These studies found: Feeling hopeless, depressed and impulsive could lead to suicidal ideation. Uncapher, Gallagher-Thompson, Osgood, and Bongar (1998) examined suicidal ideation among older adults. Suicidal ideation is a term used in relation to thoughts in the middle of the article......onal Review of Psychiatry, 12(1), 7-14. Retrieved from www.ebscohost.comUncapher, H., Gallagher-Thompson, D., Osgood, NJ, & Bongar, B. (1998). Hopelessness and suicidal ideation among older adults. The Gerontologist, 38(1), 62-70. Retrieved from http://0-gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org.library.vu.edu.au/content/38/1/62.full.pdf+htmlVanderhorst, RK and McLaren, S. (2005). Social relationships as predictors of depression and suicidal ideation in older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 9(6), 517-525. doi:10.1080/136007860500193062World Health Organization. (2009). Mental Health: A State of Well-Being 2009. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/You, S., Van Orden, K. and Conner, KR (2010). Social connections and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 1(25), 180-184. doi:10.1037/a0020936