Age and suicidal ideation in older depressed inpatients

Paul R. Duberstein, Yeates Conwell, Larry Seidlitz, Jeffrey M. Lyness, Christopher Cox, Eric D. Caine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

Age-related patterns of symptom presentation may complicate the recognition of suicide risk. The authors sought to determine whether there is a relationship between age and reported suicidal ideation in depressed suicide attempters (DSAs) and depressed nonattempters (DNs) 50 years of age and over. Regression analyses revealed that increasing age is significantly associated with the absence of suicidal ideation in both DSAs and DNs. Because of their lower rates of depressed mood and suicidal ideation, the depressions of older adults may more readily escape detection. Preventive or treatment measures initiated after the onset of the suicidal state may be insufficient, and other preventive strategies ought to be considered.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)289-296
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Volume7
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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