Suicidal ideation in older adults in nursing homes: impact of depression, perceived social support and cognitive impairment

Abstract

Introduction. Suicide increases with age; the rate of death by suicide in people over 70 years of age is twice that of people aged 15-49. Currently 30.96% of the population over 64 years of age have functional limitations and perceived social support decreases significantly at this stage. Exposure to these factors appears to be exacerbated in people living in residential care, yet research remains scarce. We analysed suicidal ideation and associated factors such as depression, perceived social support, cognitive decline and functional limitations in older adults living in nursing homes. Methods. Multicentre study of 126 participants aged over 65 years, mean age is 81.35 years (SD= 9.31) and 65.6% are women. Results. Suicidal ideation was found in 57.1% of the participants. Depression, low social support and the presence of mild cognitive impairment were associated with the presence of suicidal ideation in older people living in nursing homes. Discussion. The results obtained highlight the need to focus the dynamics and interventions in nursing homes on emotional aspects, which can help prevent and even detect suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviour.