Geriatric Suicide Attempt and Risk of Subsequent Dementia: A Nationwide Longitudinal Follow-up Study in Taiwan

Determinants of suicidal behavior in dementia: A Swedish national register-based study

OBJECTIVES

To examine predictors of suicidal behavior (SB) in adults aged 75 years and above with dementia.

DESIGN

Longitudinal national register-based study.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Swedish residents aged ≥75 years with dementia identified in the Swedish Dementia Registry (SveDem) between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2017 (N = 59 042) and followed until 31 December 2018. Data were linked with numerous national registers using personal identity numbers.

MEASUREMENTS

Outcomes were nonfatal self-harm and suicide. Fine and Gray regression models were used to investigate demographics, comorbidities, and psychoactive medications associated with fatal and nonfatal SB.

RESULTS

Suicidal behavior was observed in 160 persons after dementia diagnosis; 29 of these died by suicide. Adjusted sub-hazard ratio (aSHRs) for SB was increased in those who had a previous episode of self-harm (aSHR = 14.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.06-29.46), those with serious depression (aSHR = 4.33, 95%CI = 2.94-6.4), and in those born outside Sweden (aSHR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.03-2.27). Use of hypnotics or anxiolytics was also associated with a higher risk of SB; use of antidepressants was not. Milder dementia and higher frailty score also increased risk of SB. Risk was decreased in those who received home care (aSHR = 0.52; 95%CI = 0.38-0.71) and in the oldest group (aSHR = 0.35; 95%CI = 0.25-0.49).

CONCLUSION

In addition to established targets for suicidal behavior prevention (improved identification and treatment of depression and previous self-harm), several new risk factors were suggested. There is a need for innovative public health strategies to meet the needs of older dementia patients with a foreign background. Home care may have a potential positive effect to prevent SB in people with dementia, but this needs to be further explored.

Is Late-Onset Suicidal Behavior a Distinct Subtype?

This clinical viewpoint article aims to draw attention to a yet unexplored factor influencing suicidal behavior: age of onset of suicidal behavior. To tackle the substantial heterogeneity among depressed older attempters, we suggest consideration of at least two distinct pathways to suicidal behavior in late life based on when the first suicidal crisis occurred. Specifically, we discuss the current state of research and the rationale behind the suggested early-late-onset categorization of late-life suicidal behavior. We summarize available evidence so far on early-onset and late-onset attempters, and the potential heterogeneity in the interplay of risk/precipitating factors. Certain risk factors for suicide, such as impulsivity and borderline traits, decrease with age, while memory and broader cognitive impairments increase with age. Research indicates that familial/social exposure to suicidal behavior, childhood trauma, impulsivity, maladaptive personality traits, longstanding interpersonal difficulties, and legal problems are found predominantly in attempters experiencing their first suicidal crisis between youth and early midlife. In contrast, dementia prodrome is one of the most promising but understudied candidates for late-onset suicide risk, especially in the context of other risk factors. Moreover, personality traits conferring increased vulnerability to late-onset suicidal behavior (such as high conscientiousness) are not the same as ones classically identified in younger attempters and in older suicide attempters who have early-onset suicidal behavior (such as neuroticism and Cluster B traits). We discuss methodological points about studying age of onset of suicidal behavior, outline clinical implications, share ideas for future directions, and call for research on this understudied topic.

Similarities and differences in the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal behavior between caregivers and people with dementia: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

People with dementia and their caregivers are prone to suicidal behaviors due to difficulty adjusting to their initial caregiving role and due to emotional disturbances resulting from deterioration of functioning. The present systematic review (1) explored the prevalence of and risk factors for suicidal behavior and (2) assessed the similarities and differences in the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal behavior between people with dementia and their caregivers.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search for research articles published between 1950 and 2023 was carried out using major databases, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Medline.

RESULTS

A total of 40 research articles were selected for review. A total of 12 research articles revealed that the prevalence of suicidal behavior among caregivers ranged from 4.7% to 26%. However, the risk of suicidal behavior among people with dementia was inconsistent, as only 17 out of 28 selected studies reported the risk of suicidal behavior among people with dementia. The risk factors associated with suicidal behavior among caregivers of people with dementia could be both self-related and care receiver-related factors, whereas risk factors in people with dementia were self-related factors. Notably, greater cognitive decline, which impairs individuals' ability to carry out complex acts and planning, may lower their suicidal risk. Finally, assessment of the risk of bias indicated that 95% of the selected studies had unclear risk.

CONCLUSION

Self-related and care receiver-related factors should be assessed among caregivers of people with dementia to evaluate the risk of suicidal behavior. In addition, we recommend evaluating suicidal risk in people with dementia in the early phase of dementia when cognitive decline is less severe. However, as the majority of the selected studies had unclear risk of bias, future studies with improved methodologies are warranted to confirm our study findings.

Passive and active suicidal ideation in a population-based sample of older adults: Associations with polygenic risk scores of relevance for suicidal behavior

INTRODUCTION

There are few studies investigating genetic factors related to suicidal ideation or behavior in older adult populations. Our aim was to test associations between passive and active suicidal ideation and polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for suicidality and other traits of relevance for suicidality in old age (i.e. depression, neuroticism, loneliness, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive performance, educational attainment, and several specified vascular diseases) in a population-based sample aged 70 years and older.

METHODS

Participants in the prospective H70 study in Gothenburg, Sweden, took part in a psychiatric examination that included the Paykel questions on active and passive suicidal ideation. Genotyping was performed with the Neurochip (Illumina). After quality control of the genetic data the sample included 3467 participants. PRSs for suicidality and other related traits were calculated based on summary statistics from recent GWASs of relevance. Exclusion of persons with dementia or incomplete data on suicidal ideation yielded 3019 participants, age range 70-101 years. Associations between past year suicidal ideation (any level) and selected PRSs were analysed using general estimation equation (GEE) models, adjusted for sex and age.

RESULTS

We observed associations between passive/active suicidal ideation and PRSs for depression (three versions), neuroticism, and general cognitive performance. After excluding individuals with current major depressive disorder (MDD), similar associations were seen with PRS for neuroticism, general cognitive performance and two PRSs for depression. No associations were found between suicidal ideation and PRSs for suicidality, loneliness, Alzheimer's disease, educational attainment, or vascular disease.

DISCUSSION

Our results could indicate which types of genetic susceptibility that are of importance for suicidality in old age, and these findings can help to shed light on potential mechanisms that may be involved in passive and active suicidal ideation in late-life, also in those with no current MDD. However, due to the limited sample size, the results need to be interpreted with caution until replicated in larger samples.

How Residing in a Long-Term Care Facility Affects Suicidal Risk in Patients With Dementia: A Systematic Review

This study aims to review the current literature regarding the association between suicide risk in patients aged 65 years or over with dementia residing in long-term care facilities (LTCs). We also evaluate the most common methods of suicide and protective versus risk factors of nursing home (NH) life on suicide behavior in patients with dementia. Following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we performed a systematic review of the relevant free full-text articles found in PubMed, Pub Psych, Cochrane library, and Science Direct up until April 4, 2022. Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and keywords (nursing home, long-term care facility, suicide, self-injurious behavior, dementia), were used to search for full-text randomized clinical trials (RCTs), cross-sectional, case-control, cohort studies, systematic reviews, and studies published in the English language in the last 12 years, focused on human subjects 65 years and older were selected based on predefined eligibility criteria. The search yielded 57,909 articles, of which 12 studies met our inclusion criteria. The articles were subjected to quality appraisal by two reviewers. We used the Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS) for quality assessment with a mean score of six for 12 observational studies used in this paper. Of the included reports, six were cross-sectional, five were cohort, and one was case-control. Four articles carefully examine the relationship between dementia and suicide, and all confirm the hypothesis that staying in LTCs reduces the risk of suicide in patients with dementia. However, the rest of the articles generally determine a higher risk of suicide in demented patients and describe male gender, non-Hispanic white race, younger age, newly diagnosed with dementia within one-year, mild dementia, comorbidities, depression, previous history of suicidal behavior, low social support and unstable family relationship as the risk factors of suicide in this population. In comparison, extended stay in NHs and other kinds of LTCs, severe dementia with impaired insight, older age, comorbid schizophrenia, physical disability with limitation and more difficulty preparing and executing a suicide plan, positive and robust social relationships, access to professional caregivers and high frequency of visits from relatives marked as the protective factors. Existing research on suicide risk in long-term care facility residents with dementia is limited. However, due to the increase in dementia rates that require people to reside in NHs and on the other hand, considering the multiple risk factors of suicide in the elderly living in such places, the need for a screening system for identifying people at suicide risk and performing preventive therapeutic and behavioral interventions is well felt.

Search for solutions, learning, simulation, and choice processes in suicidal behavior

Suicide may be viewed as an unfortunate outcome of failures in decision processes. Such failures occur when the demands of a crisis exceed a person's capacity to (i) search for options, (ii) learn and simulate possible futures, and (iii) make advantageous value-based choices. Can individual-level decision deficits and biases drive the progression of the suicidal crisis? Our overview of the evidence on this question is informed by clinical theory and grounded in reinforcement learning and behavioral economics. Cohort and case-control studies provide strong evidence that limited cognitive capacity and particularly impaired cognitive control are associated with suicidal behavior, imposing cognitive constraints on decision-making. We conceptualize suicidal ideation as an element of impoverished consideration sets resulting from a search for solutions under cognitive constraints and mood-congruent Pavlovian influences, a view supported by mostly indirect evidence. More compelling is the evidence of impaired learning in people with a history of suicidal behavior. We speculate that an inability to simulate alternative futures using one's model of the world may undermine alternative solutions in a suicidal crisis. The hypothesis supported by the strongest evidence is that the selection of suicide over alternatives is facilitated by a choice process undermined by randomness. Case-control studies using gambling tasks, armed bandits, and delay discounting support this claim. Future experimental studies will need to uncover real-time dynamics of choice processes in suicidal people. In summary, the decision process framework sheds light on neurocognitive mechanisms that facilitate the progression of the suicidal crisis. This article is categorized under: Economics > Individual Decision-Making Psychology > Emotion and Motivation Psychology > Learning Neuroscience > Behavior.

Social Disconnection in Late Life Suicide: An NIMH Workshop on State of the Research in Identifying Mechanisms, Treatment Targets, and Interventions

Both social disconnection and suicide are significant public health concerns among older adults, and social disconnection is associated with greater risk for suicide-related thoughts and behaviors in late life. We present a synthesis of research discussed during a workshop hosted by the National Institute of Mental Health on social disconnection and late-life suicide. Social disconnection is related to suicide risk in late life via a variety of mechanisms, including biological, behavioral, and psychological correlates. Researchers in several scientific fields have begun to establish these connections and identify targets for interventions to reduce risk in late life. While research has demonstrated that social connection is amenable to change, there is little research to date on the most evidence-based interventions to mitigate social disconnection or the related risks. However, there are several promising biological, behavioral, and psychological interventions that may target various mechanisms, as well as social disconnection itself. With a relative paucity of research in this area, these lines of study are ripe for innovative investigation. In order to most effectively advance the field, we must establish more consistent definitions of social connection and disconnection; more accurately measure and assess older adults' social needs; examine the most effective approaches and modalities for assessment and intervention; take into account important contextual factors; and apply a translational, convergent scientific approach.

Late-Onset Suicide: A Dementia Prodrome?

OBJECTIVES

This study examined whether late-onset (versus early-onset) suicidal behavior is associated with worse cognition.

METHODS

Participants included 278 adults aged 50+ years (56 nonpsychiatric comparison group; 67 nonsuicidal depressed older adults; 63 depressed suicide ideators; and 44 late-onset (55+ years) and 48 early-onset suicide attempters (<55 years). Using a case-control design, this study examined group differences in global cognition, episodic memory, information processing speed, and executive functioning, assessed using the Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Status and the Trail Making Test from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Linear regression was used for data analyses.

RESULTS

Both attempter groups displayed worse executive functioning than nonsuicidal depressed older adults. Late-onset attempters additionally displayed poorer global cognition and processing speed than nonsuicidal depressed older adults and poorer memory than early-onset attempters.

CONCLUSIONS

Late-onset suicidal behavior is associated with worse performance in a broad range of cognitive domains, possibly reflective of a dementia prodrome.

Low MoCA performances correlate with suicidal ideation in late-life depression

Late-life depression remains an underdiagnosed clinical entity, mainly because the presence of cognitive impairment in the elderly leads clinicians to suspect dementia rather than depression. Our objective was to analyze the cognitive abilities of elderly depressed patients using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in relation to the presence or absence of suicidal ideation. The MoCA, Beck Scale of Suicidal Ideation, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Hamilton Depression Scale were administered to 72 patients with a recent history of late life depression: 43 with suicidal ideation and 29 non-suicidal controls. The results show that suicidal patients demonstrated significantly worse performance on the MoCA total score and the delayed recall subtest in comparison to non-suicidal controls. In addition, after adjusting for age and depression, poorer performance on the MoCA total score correlated to the presence of suicidal ideation. We found that the MoCA total score is able to predict the presence of suicidal ideation in depressed elderly patients in a fair-to-good manner. As late-life depression is already established as a potential prodrome of dementia, longitudinal follow-up may determine whether depressed individuals with suicidal ideation are at higher risk of converting to dementia.

Greater white matter hyperintensities and the association with executive function in suicide attempters with late-life depression

Late-life depression (LLD) is associated with greater risk of suicide and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), which are also found in suicide attempters regardless of age. Greater periventricular WMH are related to worse cognitive function. We investigated the spatial distribution of WMH in suicide attempters with LLD and its association with cognitive function. We recruited 114 participants with LLD (34 with history of suicide attempt and 80 without) and 47 older adult controls (individuals without LLD or history of suicide attempt). WMH were quantified by an automated segmentation algorithm and were classified into different regions. Suicide attempters with LLD had significantly higher global WMH (F3, 150 = 2.856, p = 0.039) and periventricular WMH (F3, 150 = 3.635, p = 0.014) compared to other groups. Suicide attempters with high WMH had significantly lower executive function, which could be an underlying mechanism for cognitive decline in older adults with suicidality.

Mental Disorders, Cognitive Impairment and the Risk of Suicide in Older Adults

More than 600 million people are aged 60 years and over are living in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that this number will double by 2025 to 2 billion older people. Suicide among people over the age of 60 is one of the most acute problems. The factors strongly associated with suicide are mentioned: physical illnesses, such as cancer, neurologic disorder, pain, liver disease, genital disorders, or rheumatoid disorders. Moreover, neurologic conditions, especially stroke, may affect decision-making processes, cognitive capacity, and language deficit. In addition to dementia, the most common mental disorders are mood and anxiety disorders. A common symptom of these disorders in the elderly is cognitive impairment. This study aimed to present the relationship between cognitive impairment due to dementia, mood disorders and anxiety, and an increased risk of suicide among older people. Dementia is a disease where the risk of suicide is significant. Many studies demonstrated that older adults with dementia had an increased risk of suicide death than those without dementia. Similar conclusions apply to prodromal dementia Depression is also a disease with a high risk of suicide. Many researchers found that a higher level of depression was associated with suicide attempts and suicide ideation. Bipolar disorder is the second entity in mood disorders with an increased risk of suicide among the elderly. Apart from suicidal thoughts, bipolar disorder is characterized by high mortality. In the group of anxiety disorders, the most significant risk of suicide occurs when depression is present. In turn, suicide thoughts are more common in social phobia than in other anxiety disorders. Suicide among the elderly is a serious public health problem. There is a positive correlation between mental disorders such as dementia, depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety and the prevalence of suicide in the elderly. Therefore, the elderly should be comprehensively provided with psychiatric and psychological support.

Health Profiles, Health Services Use, and Transition to Dementia in Inpatients With Late-Life Depression and Other Mental Illnesses

OBJECTIVES

Depression has been reported as a risk factor for dementia. We compared health and health service use profiles in older people hospitalized with late-life depression and older people hospitalized with other mental illnesses and examined the transition to dementia.

DESIGN

A retrospective population-based study using linked administrative health data over 11 years.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The sample includes 55,717 inpatients age 65+ years with depression and 104,068 inpatients age 65+ years with other mental illnesses in New South Wales, Australia.

METHODS

The risk of subsequent dementia under consideration of sociodemographics, comorbidities, and health service use was analyzed with logistic regression.

RESULTS

The most prominent differences were the rates of delirium and self-harm with a 6 times lower rate of delirium and an 8 times higher rate of self-harm in people with late-life depression compared with those with other mental illness. Inpatients with late-life depression had an increased risk of subsequent dementia by 12% and received a dementia diagnosis at a younger age compared with inpatients with other mental illnesses. Besides depression only 3 other conditions, delirium, diabetes, and cerebrovascular accidents, were associated with an increased dementia risk. Other factors associated with an increased dementia risk were longer hospital stays, low socioeconomic status, male sex, and older age.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Results from this study lead to a better understanding of the risk for dementia and of differences in health profiles and health services use in older people with depression compared with those with other mental illnesses. Our findings highlight the importance of the clinical management and prevention of self-harm and delirium in older people.

Predictors of serious suicidal behavior in late-life depression

The present study aimed to identify pathways to suicidal behavior in late life that can guide identification of those most at risk and improve treatment. In a longitudinal study of late-life depression, we prospectively assessed risk factors specifically associated with fatal and near-fatal as compared to less lethal suicidal behavior. We enrolled 401 participants (age 66+9.9): 311 with unipolar non-psychotic depression and 90 non-psychiatric controls. The median follow-up was 5.4 years. Results indicated that history of suicide attempt predicted a two-fold increase in the risk of dying from natural causes. In univariate models, male gender, higher income, current depression and current and worst lifetime suicidal ideation severity, cognitive control deficits, and low levels of non-planning impulsivity predicted fatal and near-fatal suicidal behavior. In contrast, incident less lethal suicidal behavior was mostly associated with maladaptive personality traits, impulsivity, and severity of psychiatric illness in univariate models. In multipredictor models, male gender, worst lifetime suicidal ideation, and deficits in cognitive control independently predicted fatal/near-fatal suicidal behavior, while introversion, history of suicide attempt, and earlier age of onset of depression predicted less lethal suicidal behavior. While clinicians may be familiar with suicide risk factors identified in younger samples such as dysfunctional personality, impulsivity, and co-morbid substance use, in late life these characteristics only pertain to lower-lethality suicidal behavior. Cognitive control deficits, which likely play a greater role in old age, predict serious suicidal behavior.

Suicide in the Elderly: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Prevention

Suicide in the elderly is a growing problem. The elderly population is increasing, and elderly patients have multiple issues that place them at higher risk of suicidality. These issues include physical illnesses, mental illness, loss of functional status, isolation, and family, financial, and social factors. Access to firearms is another significant risk factor, because elderly patients are more likely to use firearms in suicide attempts; interventions to reduce firearms mortality may save lives. Tackling the difficult problem of suicide in the elderly may require a multidisciplinary, community-based series of interventions.

Late-life suicide prevention strategies: current status and future directions

Late life suicide prevention differs from suicide prevention for other age groups: first, the number of older adults worldwide is on the rise; second, late-life suicide receives much less attention in all societal spheres, from the media, to federal funding agencies, to healthcare initiatives. Recent findings indicate an association between internalized ageist stereotypes and reduced will to live. Recent research also addresses the role of cognitive control as a contributor to risk and as an intervention target (e.g., through psychotherapies such as problem solving therapy) as well as firearm safety as a promising, though a politicized and challenging strategy to implement. Another strategy that may prove feasible is an approach on upstream prevention strategies in healthcare. One strategy we believe holds great promise is the promotion of high quality geriatric medicine. Geriatricians are trained to work with patients to prioritize the promotion of physical and cognitive functioning (rather than solely absence of disease) and to focus on well-being as a goal. Thus, geriatricians routinely target numerous late-life suicide risk factors-physical illness, functioning, pain, and (dis)satisfaction with life. However, efficacious strategies will not prevent suicide deaths if they are not implemented-addressing ageism as a universal prevention strategy is essential.

Pathways to Late-Life Suicidal Behavior: Cluster Analysis and Predictive Validation of Suicidal Behavior in a Sample of Older Adults With Major Depression

OBJECTIVE

Clinical heterogeneity is a key challenge to understanding suicidal risk, as different pathways to suicidal behavior are likely to exist. We aimed to identify such pathways by uncovering latent classes of late-life depression cases and relating them to prior and future suicidal behavior.

METHODS

Data were collected from June 2010 to September 2015. In this longitudinal study we examined distinct associations of clinical and cognitive/decision-making factors with suicidal behavior in 194 older (50+ years) nondemented, depressed patients; 57 nonpsychiatric healthy controls provided benchmark data. The DSM-IV was used to establish diagnostic criteria. We identified multivariate patterns of risk factors, defining clusters based on personality traits, perceived social support, cognitive performance, and decision-making in an analysis blinded to participants' history of suicidal behavior. We validated these clusters using past and prospective suicidal ideation and behavior.

RESULTS

Of 5 clusters identified, 3 were associated with high risk for suicidal behavior: (1) cognitive deficits, dysfunctional personality, low social support, high willingness to delay future rewards, and overrepresentation of high-lethality attempters; (2) high-personality pathology (ie, low self-esteem), minimal or no cognitive deficits, and overrepresentation of low-lethality attempters and ideators; (3) cognitive deficits, inability to delay future rewards, and similar distribution of high- and low-lethality attempters. There were significant between-cluster differences in number (P < .001) and lethality (P = .002) of past suicide attempts and in the likelihood of future suicide attempts (P = .010, 30 attempts by 22 patients, 2 fatal) and emergency psychiatric hospitalizations to prevent suicide (P = .005, 31 participants).

CONCLUSIONS

Three pathways to suicidal behavior in older patients were found, marked by (1) very high levels of cognitive and dispositional risk factors suggesting a dementia prodrome, (2) dysfunctional personality traits, and (3) impulsive decision-making and cognitive deficits.