UCL study links an increase in suicidal thoughts to living with dementia
A study, led by University College London (UCL) and published in Ageing Research Reviews, has shown that people with dementia are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than people without dementia.
Researchers reviewed data from more than 3.7 million people with dementia between 1991 and 2023 and noted that suicidal thoughts were most common in people with moderate dementia.
Despite the increase in numbers of people having suicidal thoughts (10% of people with dementia in comparison to 2% of people in the general population), the prevalence of attempted suicide or death by suicide was approximately the same as the general population. Those most at-risk were younger people with dementia and men (who were shown to be almost three times more likely to die by suicide than women).
Lead author Dr Roopal Desai, from UCL Psychology & Language Sciences, says:
“This review highlights the importance of providing mental health support and suicide prevention in dementia care, with a focus on age, the severity of symptoms, and sex.”
Read the study in Ageing Research Reviews here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163724002630?via%3Dihub
Read more from UCL here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/sep/1-10-people-dementia-experience-suicidal-thoughts