Main Article Content
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Suicide attempts in elderly people has higher risk of mortality. The elderly are more vulnerable to depression and other psychological and social factors that may contribute to higher risk of suicide. Studies have suggested that suicide in elderly is strongly associated with depression and lack of social support. Factors that increase risk of suicide are also found to increase the risk for suicide ideation. Suicide ideation is an important predictor of suicide attempts and completed suicide.
Aims: Our study aims at estimating the prevalence of suicide ideation among mentally ill geriatric population and identifying potential predictors of suicide ideation among elderly.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study involving 50 persons with mental illness aged above 60 years and 50 persons with no previous psychiatric history. The was conducted at a tertiary psychiatric hospital. Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale, Geriatric Depression scale and other psychopathology assessment tools were used.
RESULTS
The GSIS scores were significantly higher among those elderly persons with mental illness and the scores were higher in our study when compared to the community-dwelling elderly persons without psychiatric illness. It was observed that geriatric depression was an important predictor of suicide ideation followed by previous suicide attempt. The study also finds significant difference in the subscales of GSIS and we constructed an ROC for optimal cut-off point for the Indian population.
CONCLUSIONS
Geriatric suicide ideation is a less studied area with suicide ideation in elderly person with mental illness having various determinants and risk factors. It is for further research to identify feasible means of assessing suicide ideation among the elderly person receiving care from primary care physicians.
Keywords
Article Details
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References
- O’Connor N, Warby M, Raphael B, et al. Changeability, confidence, common sense and corroboration: comprehensive suicide risk assessment. Australas Psychiatry 2004;12(4):352-60.
- Klonsky ED, May AM, Saffer BY. Suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2016;12:307-30.
- O’Connor RC, Kirtley OJ. The integrated motivational–volitional model of suicidal behaviour. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2018;373(1754):20170268.
- Klonsky ED, May AM. The three-step theory (3st): a new theory of suicide rooted in the “ideation-to-action” framework. Int J Cogn Ther 2015;8(2):114-29.
- Shneidman ES. Suicide as psychache: a clinical approach to self-destructive behavior Jason Aronson 1993.
- Trivedi SC, Shetty NK, Raut NB, et al. Study of suicidal ideations, hopelessness and impulsivity in elderly. Journal of Geriatric Mental Health 2014;1(1):38.
- Britton PC, Duberstein PR, Conner KR, et al. Reasons for living, hopelessness, and suicide ideation among depressed adults 50 years or older. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008;16(9):736-41.
- Zhang J, Li Z. The association between depression and suicide when hopelessness is controlled for. Compr Psychiatry 2013;54(7):790-6.
- Niu L, Jia C, Ma Z, et al. Loneliness, hopelessness and suicide in later life: a case-control psychological autopsy study in rural China. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2020;29:e119.
- Chu C, Buchman-Schmitt JM, et al. The interpersonal theory of suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis of a decade of cross-national research. Psychol Bull 2017;143(12):1313-45.
- Isometsä ET. Psychological autopsy studies – a review. European Psychiatry 2001;16(7):379-85.
- Cavanagh JTO, Carson AJ, Sharpe M, et al. Psychological autopsy studies of suicide: a systematic review. Psychol Med 2003;33(3):395-405.
- Manning KJ, Chan G, Steffens DC, et al. The interaction of personality and social support on prospective suicidal ideation in men and women with late-life depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2021;29(1):66-77.
- Chu C, Buchman-Schmitt JM, Stanley IH, et al. The interpersonal theory of suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis of a decade of cross-national research. Psychol Bull 2017;143(12):1313-45.
- Heisel MJ, Flett GL. The development and initial validation of the geriatric suicide ideation scale. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2006;14(9):742-51.
- Nie Y, Hu Z, Zhu T, et al. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of and risk factors for suicidal ideation among the elderly in nursing homes in hunan province, China. Front Psychiatry 2020;11:339.
- Malfent D, Wondrak T, Kapusta ND, et al. Suicidal ideation and its correlates among elderly in residential care homes. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2010;25(8):843-9.
- Kułak-Bejda A, Bejda G, Waszkiewicz N. Mental disorders, cognitive impairment and the risk of suicide in older adults. Front Psychiatry 2021;12:695286.
References
O’Connor N, Warby M, Raphael B, et al. Changeability, confidence, common sense and corroboration: comprehensive suicide risk assessment. Australas Psychiatry 2004;12(4):352-60.
Klonsky ED, May AM, Saffer BY. Suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2016;12:307-30.
O’Connor RC, Kirtley OJ. The integrated motivational–volitional model of suicidal behaviour. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2018;373(1754):20170268.
Klonsky ED, May AM. The three-step theory (3st): a new theory of suicide rooted in the “ideation-to-action” framework. Int J Cogn Ther 2015;8(2):114-29.
Shneidman ES. Suicide as psychache: a clinical approach to self-destructive behavior Jason Aronson 1993.
Trivedi SC, Shetty NK, Raut NB, et al. Study of suicidal ideations, hopelessness and impulsivity in elderly. Journal of Geriatric Mental Health 2014;1(1):38.
Britton PC, Duberstein PR, Conner KR, et al. Reasons for living, hopelessness, and suicide ideation among depressed adults 50 years or older. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2008;16(9):736-41.
Zhang J, Li Z. The association between depression and suicide when hopelessness is controlled for. Compr Psychiatry 2013;54(7):790-6.
Niu L, Jia C, Ma Z, et al. Loneliness, hopelessness and suicide in later life: a case-control psychological autopsy study in rural China. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2020;29:e119.
Chu C, Buchman-Schmitt JM, et al. The interpersonal theory of suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis of a decade of cross-national research. Psychol Bull 2017;143(12):1313-45.
Isometsä ET. Psychological autopsy studies – a review. European Psychiatry 2001;16(7):379-85.
Cavanagh JTO, Carson AJ, Sharpe M, et al. Psychological autopsy studies of suicide: a systematic review. Psychol Med 2003;33(3):395-405.
Manning KJ, Chan G, Steffens DC, et al. The interaction of personality and social support on prospective suicidal ideation in men and women with late-life depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2021;29(1):66-77.
Chu C, Buchman-Schmitt JM, Stanley IH, et al. The interpersonal theory of suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis of a decade of cross-national research. Psychol Bull 2017;143(12):1313-45.
Heisel MJ, Flett GL. The development and initial validation of the geriatric suicide ideation scale. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2006;14(9):742-51.
Nie Y, Hu Z, Zhu T, et al. A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of and risk factors for suicidal ideation among the elderly in nursing homes in hunan province, China. Front Psychiatry 2020;11:339.
Malfent D, Wondrak T, Kapusta ND, et al. Suicidal ideation and its correlates among elderly in residential care homes. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2010;25(8):843-9.
Kułak-Bejda A, Bejda G, Waszkiewicz N. Mental disorders, cognitive impairment and the risk of suicide in older adults. Front Psychiatry 2021;12:695286.