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Anxiety symptoms and suicidal feelings in a population sample of 70-year-olds without dementia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 May 2012

Mattias Jonson ,
Ingmar Skoog ,
Thomas Marlow ,
Madeleine Mellqvist Fässberg  and
Margda Waern
Mattias Jonson
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Ingmar Skoog
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Thomas Marlow
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Madeleine Mellqvist Fässberg
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Margda Waern*
Affiliation:
Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: M. Waern, Psychiatric Clinic, Blå Stråket 15, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden. Phone: +46 31 342 2164; Fax: +46 31 82 8163. Email: margda.waern@neuro.gu.se.
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Abstract

Background: The role of anxiety in late-life suicidal behavior has received relatively little attention. The aim was to explore the association between anxiety symptoms and suicidal feelings in a population sample of 70-year-olds without dementia, and to test whether associations would be independent of depression.

Methods: Face-to-face interviews (N = 560) were carried out by psychiatric nurses and past month symptoms were rated with the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS). The Brief Scale for Anxiety (BSA) was derived from the CPRS to quantify anxiety symptom burden. Past month suicidal feelings were evaluated with the Paykel questions.

Results: Anxiety symptom burden was associated with suicidal feelings and the association remained after adjusting for major depression. One individual BSA item (Inner tension) was independently associated with suicidal feelings in a multivariate regression model. The association did not remain, however, in a final model in which depression symptoms replaced depression diagnosis.

Conclusions: Results from this population study suggest an association between anxiety and suicidal feelings in older adults. The role of anxiety and depression symptoms needs further clarification in the study of suicidal behavior in late life.

Keywords

anxietysuicidal feelingsdepressionolder adultspopulation study
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 24 , Issue 11 , November 2012 , pp. 1865 - 1871
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2012

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