Suicidal thoughts declines with patient age: Study

Suicidal attempts or thoughts decrease with increasing age, says a recent study.

In a recent analysis of patient charts from eight different emergency departments documented that suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts decline with age, from approximately 81 percent in younger age groups to a low of 68 percent among those aged greater than or equal to 85 years.

The prevalence of patients identified as having suicidal thoughts and behaviors through these screens also declined with age, with a peak among young and middle-aged adults and a low among patients aged greater than or equal to 75 years.

"It is unclear whether our findings are from a bias in care or from older patients being less able to answer questions because of conditions like dementia," said Dr. Marian Betz, lead author the study.

"Additional research and program development could hopefully help providers better identify older adults at risk of suicide," added Betz.

This study has been published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.