Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jan;32(1):31-39.
doi: 10.1177/0891988718814363. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Suicide Among Persons With Dementia, Georgia, 2013 to 2016

Francis B Annor  1   2 , Rana A Bayakly  3 , Reynolds A Morrison  3 , Michael J Bryan  3 , Leah K Gilbert  2 , Asha Z Ivey-Stephenson  2 , Kristin M Holland  2 , Thomas R Simon  2
Affiliations

Suicide Among Persons With Dementia, Georgia, 2013 to 2016

Francis B Annor et al. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: Findings from studies examining the relationship between dementia and suicide have been inconsistent. This study examined the characteristics, precipitants, and risk factors for suicide among persons with dementia.

Methods: Data from the Georgia Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia registry were linked with 2013 to 2016 data from Georgia Vital Records and Georgia Violent Death Reporting System. Descriptive statistics were calculated and logistic regression was used to examine risk factors for suicide.

Results: Ninety-one Georgia residents with dementia who died by suicide were identified. Among decedents with known circumstances, common precipitants included depressed mood (38.7%) and physical health problems (72.6%). Suicide rate among persons with dementia was 9.3 per 100 000 person-years overall and substantially higher among those diagnosed in the past 12 months (424.5/100 000 person-years). Being male, dementia diagnosis before age 65, and a recent diagnosis of dementia independently predicted suicide, but not depression or cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusion: Prevention strategies that identify at-risk individuals, provide support, and ensure continuity of care for persons diagnosed with dementia may help reduce suicide in this population.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; dementia; depression; suicide.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure.
Figure.
Data linkage and case selection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ten Leading Causes of Injury Deaths by Age Group Highlighting Violence-Related Injury Deaths, United States - 2014. Atlanta, GA: CDC; 2014.
    1. Conwell Y, Van Orden K, Caine ED. Suicide in older adults. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2011;34(2):451–68, ix. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Suresh Kumar PN, Anish PK, George B. Risk factors for suicide in elderly in comparison to younger age groups. Indian J Psychiatry. 2015;57(3):249–54. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Szanto K, Gildengers A, Mulsant BH, Brown G, Alexopoulos GS, Reynolds CF 3rd. Identification of suicidal ideation and prevention of suicidal behaviour in the elderly. Drugs Aging. 2002;19(1):11–24. - PubMed
    1. Serafini G, Calcagno P, Lester D, Girardi P, Amore M, Pompili M. Suicide Risk in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2016;13(10):1083–99. - PubMed

MeSH terms