Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Older Adults With Suicide-Related Emergency Department Presentations - Gysin-Maillart, A.; Bettschen, D.; Annaheim, P. Md; Brogna, S.; Walther, S.; Waern, M.; Muller, M.; Exadaktylos, A. K.; Klukowska-Rotzler, J. (J Aging Health, 2024)
OBJECTIVES: To identify characteristics of older adult emergency department (ED) patients aged >/=65 with suicidal ideation and/or behavior. METHODS: A single center retrospective chart review analyzed 392 patients (>/=65) with suicidal ideation and/or behavior (2013-2019). Comprehensive full-text searches were used. Subgroup analyses for age and gender were conducted. RESULTS: Depressive disorder was documented in 50% of cases. Notably, 54% of all women were prescribed antidepressants, compared to only 31% of men. Most patients had general medical conditions (74.5%) and chronic multimorbidity (71.2%). Social stress affected 40.1%; 35.7% were intoxicated upon presentation. Alcohol abuse was more common in the 65-74 age group, while dementia impacted 20% of those >/=75. Men had a six-fold higher 30-day post-discharge mortality. DISCUSSION: Older ED patients with suicidal ideation and/or behavior exhibit typical characteristics. The dementia prevalence suggests tailored care for those >/=75, and the heightened post-discharge mortality rate in older men requires further research.
Keywords: journalArticle; article; characteristics; emergency department; of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this; older adults; suicidal behavior; suicidal ideation