Suicide Ideation in Older Adults: Relationship to Mental Health Problems and Service use

Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey was used to estimate the prevalence of suicide ideation & the prevalence of major psychiatric disorder & service use among suicide ideators versus nonideators. Multivariate models considered the sociodemographic, social, & mental health correlates of suicide ideation & mental health care use. More than 2% of the sample of older adults reported suicide ideation in the past year & more than two-thirds of these respondents did not meet the criteria for any DSM-IV disorders. Being male, younger, or widowed, reporting lower social support, & higher psychological distress increased the likelihood of suicide ideation. More than 50% of the respondents who reported ideation did not access any type of mental health care use. (31 refs.) JA

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