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- Mellqvist Fässberg, Madeleine, et al.
(author)
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A systematic review of social factors and suicidal behavior in older adulthood
- 2012
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In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 9:3, s. 722-745
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Suicide in later life is a global public health problem. The aim of this review was to conduct a systematic analysis of studies with comparison groups that examined the associations between social factors and suicidal behavior (including ideation, non-fatal suicidal behavior, or deaths) among individuals aged 65 and older. Our search identified only 16 articles (across 14 independent samples) that met inclusion criteria. The limited number of studies points to the need for further research. Included studies were conducted in Canada (n = 2), Germany (n = 1), Hong Kong (n = 1), Japan (n = 1), Singapore (n = 1), Sweden (n = 2), Taiwan (n = 1), the U.K. (n = 2), and the U.S. (n = 3). The majority of the social factors examined in this review can be conceptualized as indices of positive social connectedness-the degree of positive involvement with family, friends, and social groups. Findings indicated that at least in industrialized countries, limited social connectedness is associated with suicidal ideation, non-fatal suicidal behavior, and suicide in later life. Primary prevention programs designed to enhance social connections as well as a sense of community could potentially decrease suicide risk, especially among men.
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| 2. |
- Jonson, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Life-Weariness, Wish to Die, Active Suicidal Ideation, and All-Cause Mortality in Population-Based Samples of Older Adults
- 2023
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In: American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1064-7481. ; 31:4, s. 267-276
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: To investigate potential differences in the strength of associations between different levels of passive and active suicidal ideation and all-cause mortality in older adults. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Population-based samples of older adults in Gothenburg, Sweden. Participants: Older adults aged 79 and above who participated in any wave of the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies or the Prospective Population Study of Women between 1986 and 2015 (n = 2,438; 1,737 women, 701 men; mean age 86.6). Measurements: Most intense level of passive or active suicidal ideation during the past month: life-weariness, wish to die, or active suicidal ideation. The outcome was all-cause mortality over 3 years. Results: During follow-up, 672 participants (27.6%) died. After adjustments for sex, age, and year of examination, participants who reported a wish to die (HR 2.01; 95% CI 1.55–2.60) as the most intense level of ideation, but not participants who reported life-weariness (HR 1.40; 95% CI 0.88–2.21) or active suicidal ideation (HR 1.10; 95% CI 0.69–1.76) were at increased risk of all-cause mortality. Reporting a wish to die remained associated with mortality in a fully adjusted model, including somatic conditions, dementia, depression, and loneliness (HR 1.70; 95% CI 1.27–2.26). Conclusion: In older adults, reporting a wish to die appears to be more strongly associated with all-cause mortality than either life-weariness or active suicidal ideation.
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