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Hopelessness and suicidal feelings among the community dwelling elderly in Dublin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Michael Kirby ,
Irene Bruce ,
Davis Coakley ,
Alicja Radic  and
Brian A Lawlor
Michael Kirby
Affiliation:
Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St. James's Hospital, James's St, Dublin 8, Ireland
Davis Coakley
Affiliation:
Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
Alicja Radic
Affiliation:
Health Research Board, Dublin, Ireland
Brian A Lawlor
Affiliation:
Jonathon Swift Clinic and Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
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Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the one-month frequency of hopelessness and suicidal feelings in a community dwelling elderly sample in Dublin.

Method: A total of 891 individuals of 65 years and over, without a dementia, were interviewed using the Geriatric Mental State (GMS)-AGECAT system. Items from the GMS relating to reports of hopelessness and suicidal feelings over the previous month were identified and the relationship of these items to gender and age was studied.

Result: Serious suicidal feelings were rare with 0.2% of the sample expressing a pervasive wish to die, but less intense feelings were more common with 15.5% reporting that life was not worth living. Hopelessness and suicidal feelings were present with similar gender frequencies unlike other studies which have demonstrated a higher frequency among females. Any feeling of hopelessness or suicidality was present in 18.4% of those aged 65-74 years (‘young elderly’) compared with 14.8% of those over 75 years (‘old elderly’). Depressed elderly who reported hopelessness or suicidal feelings were not more likely to be taking antidepressants than the depressives without such feelings.

Conclusion: Cultural factors may explain the pattern of suicidal feelings reported in our sample, with the more intense feelings being rare, and may influence the gender distribution. Hopelessness and suicidality is not more common in the ‘old elderly’ than in the ‘young elderly’ and should not be regarded as an integral part of ageing. The small number of elderly depressives with feelings of hopelessness or suicidality wh o are being treated with antidepressants is a cause for concern.

Keywords

HopelessnessSuicideCommunity dwelling elderlyAgeingDepression
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , December 1997 , pp. 124 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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