Citation

Barak Y, Gale C. JAMA Netw. Open 2019; 2(6): e195634.

Affiliation

Department of Psychological Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.5634

PMID

31199441

Abstract

Almost 30 years ago, Loebel and colleagues1 demonstrated that anticipation of nursing home placement may be a precipitant of suicide in elderly people, especially among married older adults. Surprisingly, fewer than 20 studies that we know of have been published since then focusing on suicide associated with nursing homes. In a 2015 systematic review2 of completed suicides among nursing home residents, 8 studies were identified, with only 101 suicides in nursing homes having detailed information available for analysis.

Suicide in older adults is a major public health issue. Suicide rates increase during the life course and are highest among older white men in the United States. Specific health conditions and stress factors increase the complexity of the explanatory model for suicide in older adults. Psychiatric and neurocognitive disorders, social exclusion, bereavement, cognitive impairment, decision making and cognitive inhibition, physical illnesses, and physical and psychological pain have all been noted as risk variables associated with suicide in older adults. Specific stress factors, such as disability and feelings of social disconnectedness, in suicide among older adults are directly associated with transition into long-term care. There is a dire need to fill the gap existing in our knowledge of the consequences of transition into long-term care.

Despite the scarcity of studies focusing on nursing home–associated suicide, some of the notable findings include ...

Language: en