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. 2022 Feb;18(2):262-271.
doi: 10.1002/alz.12390. Epub 2021 May 25.

Suicide risk in first year after dementia diagnosis in older adults

Timothy Schmutte  1 , Mark Olfson  2 , Donovan T Maust  3   4 , Ming Xie  5 , Steven C Marcus  6
Affiliations

Suicide risk in first year after dementia diagnosis in older adults

Timothy Schmutte et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: Receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) can be a pivotal and stressful period. We examined the risk of suicide in the first year after ADRD diagnosis relative to the general geriatric population.

Methods: We identified a national cohort of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥ 65 years with newly diagnosed ADRD (n = 2,667,987) linked to the National Death Index.

Results: The suicide rate for the ADRD cohort was 26.42 per 100,000 person-years. The overall standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for suicide was 1.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 1.65) with the highest risk among adults aged 65 to 74 years (SMR = 3.40, 95% CI = 2.94, 3.86) and the first 90 days after ADRD diagnosis. Rural residence and recent mental health, substance use, or chronic pain conditions were associated with increased suicide risk.

Discussion: Results highlight the importance of suicide risk screening and support at the time of newly diagnosed dementia, particularly for patients aged < 75 years.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; dementia; mental disorder; suicide.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Dr. Marcus has served as a consultant to Allergan outside the submitted work. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Cumulative Incidence of Suicide Mortality During First Year Following Dementia Diagnosis Considering Competing Risk by Sex and Age Group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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