Wishes to die in older people: A quantitative study of prevalence and associated factors

Background: Death thoughts and wishes occur frequently among older people. In different European countries estimates of 10%-20% have been found. Aims: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of death thoughts and wishes among older people in The Netherlands. Methods: In The Netherlands 1794 people (58-98 years) were interviewed in 2005/2006 (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam). Results: 81.3% reported never […]

Understanding why older people develop a wish to die: A qualitative interview study

Background: Quantitative studies in several European countries showed that 10-20% of older people have or have had a wish to die. Aims: To improve our understanding of why some older people develop a wish to die. Methods: In-depth interviews with people with a wish to die (n = 31) were carried out. Through open coding and inductive analysis, […]

A systematic review of elderly suicide prevention programs

Background: Suicide rates are highest among the elderly, yet research on suicide prevention in old age remains a much-neglected area. Aims: We carried out a systematic review to examine the results of interventions aimed at suicidal elderly persons and to identify successful strategies and areas needing further exploration. Methods: Searches through various electronic databases yielded 19 studies with […]

Key considerations for preventing suicide in older adults: Consensus opinions of an expert panel

Background: The number of older adults is growing rapidly. This fact, combined with the high rates of suicide in later life, indicates that many more older adults will die by their own hands before rigorous trials can be conducted to fully understand the best approaches to prevent late life suicide. Aims: To disseminate key considerations for interventions […]

Association of frailty with risk of suicide attempt in a national cohort of US veterans aged 65 years or older

Objectives  To examine the association between frailty and risk of suicide attempt and how risk differs based on components of frailty. Design, Setting, and Participants  This nationwide cohort study integrated databases from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient and outpatient health care services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data, and national suicide data. Participants […]

Association of frailty with risk of suicide attempt in a national cohort of US Veterans aged 65 years or older

Objectives  To examine the association between frailty and risk of suicide attempt and how risk differs based on components of frailty. Design, Setting, and Participants  This nationwide cohort study integrated databases from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient and outpatient health care services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data, and national suicide data. Participants […]

Suicide in the oldest old: An observational study and cluster analysis.

The older population are at a high risk for suicide. This study sought to learn more about the characteristics of suicide in the oldest-old and to use a cluster analysis to determine if oldest-old suicide victims assort into clinically meaningful subgroups. The younger and older age groups differed according to marital status, living circumstances and […]

A longitudinal examination of rural status and suicide risk.

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