The suicide rate among the elderly living in urban areas rose to a worrying high in recent years, as China saw increases in the age of its population, an expert warned at a seminar held in Peking University recently.

The suicide rate among elderly Chinese residing in urban areas and aged from 70 to 74, for example, surged to 33.76/100,000 per year during the 2002-2008 period, up from 13.39/100,000 in the 1990s, said Jing Jun, professor from the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University.

Among others, rising medical costs and hardship after relocations contributed to increasing despair among the elderly, said Jing.

Many of China's urban elders had lived in the old quarters of the cities, which have faced mass demolitions as China pushed for a quick modernization of its cities.

"The relocation could be a bane to senior citizens in many ways, like projecting them into unfamiliar communities, lengthening the distance from their family members, and raising disputes on property rights," said Jing.

Further, China's highlight of children's filial obligations for their aging parents, contradicted by the fast-paced modern life, may work the opposite in worsening the situation.

"Tradition-minded elders may feel particularly distressed if their children fail to provide enough care," said Tu Keguo, director of the Confucianism Study Institution at Shandong Academy of Social Sciences.

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