BACKGROUND: Death thoughts and wishes occur frequently among older people. In different European countries estimates of 10%-20% have been found. AIMS: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of death thoughts and wishes among older people in The Netherlands. METHODS: In The Netherlands 1794 people (58-98 years) were interviewed in 2005/2006 (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam). RESULTS: 81.3% reported never having death thoughts/wishes; 15.3% reported having had such thoughts/wishes; 3.4% reported currently having a wish to die and/or a weakened wish to continue living. Of those with a current wish to die, 67% had depressive symptoms (vs. 32% of people with death thoughts/wishes ever and 9% of people who never had had death thoughts/wishes), and 20% suffered from a depressive disorder (vs. 5% if death thoughts/wishes ever; 0.3% if never death thoughts/wishes). In a multivariate analysis, a current wish to die was associated with having depressive symptoms, a depressive disorder, lower perceived mastery, financial problems, loneliness, small network, involuntary urine loss, being divorced, and having a speech impediment. CONCLUSIONS: Practical implications for health-care professionals are that they should be aware that in certain situations older people are more likely to develop a wish to die, and that a wish to die does not necessarily mean that someone has a depressive disorder. Nevertheless, it should serve as a trigger to investigate and to treat depression if present.
BACKGROUND: Death thoughts and wishes occur frequently among older people. In different European countries estimates of 10%-20% have been found. AIMS: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of death thoughts and wishes among older people in The Netherlands. METHODS: In The Netherlands 1794 people (58-98 years) were interviewed in 2005/2006 (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam). RESULTS: 81.3% reported never having death thoughts/wishes; 15.3% reported having had such thoughts/wishes; 3.4% reported currently having a wish to die and/or a weakened wish to continue living. Of those with a current wish to die, 67% had depressive symptoms (vs. 32% of people with death thoughts/wishes ever and 9% of people who never had had death thoughts/wishes), and 20% suffered from a depressive disorder (vs. 5% if death thoughts/wishes ever; 0.3% if never death thoughts/wishes). In a multivariate analysis, a current wish to die was associated with having depressive symptoms, a depressive disorder, lower perceived mastery, financial problems, loneliness, small network, involuntary urine loss, being divorced, and having a speech impediment. CONCLUSIONS: Practical implications for health-care professionals are that they should be aware that in certain situations older people are more likely to develop a wish to die, and that a wish to die does not necessarily mean that someone has a depressive disorder. Nevertheless, it should serve as a trigger to investigate and to treat depression if present.
Authors: Warren D Taylor; Brian Boyd; Douglas R McQuoid; Kamil Kudra; Ayman Saleh; James R MacFall Journal: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry Date: 2015-05-08 Impact factor: 5.067
Authors: Alisa A O'Riley; Kimberly A Van Orden; Hua He; Thomas M Richardson; Carol Podgorski; Yeates Conwell Journal: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2013-04-18 Impact factor: 4.105
Authors: Emiel O Hoogendijk; Dorly J H Deeg; Jan Poppelaars; Marleen van der Horst; Marjolein I Broese van Groenou; Hannie C Comijs; H Roeline W Pasman; Natasja M van Schoor; Bianca Suanet; Fleur Thomése; Theo G van Tilburg; Marjolein Visser; Martijn Huisman Journal: Eur J Epidemiol Date: 2016-08-20 Impact factor: 8.082