Trends and Factors Associated with Suicide Deaths in Older Adults

Suicide in older adults is a significant overlooked problem worldwide; particularly in Canada where a national suicide prevention strategy has not yet been established. This population-level study utilized and analyzed linked administrative health care databases (from 2011-2015) that were available at ICES (provincial health care administrative data steward), to build a better understanding of suicide (rate; trends; risks/preventive factors) in older adults living in Ontario, Canada. The findings suggest that suicide remains a persistent cause of death in older adults (with an average annual suicide rate of 0.1 per 1000 people over 5 years; the risks include being male, living in rural areas, having a mental illness, a new dementia diagnosis, and increased emergency department visits; while the preventive factors include increased age, living in LTC, having chronic health conditions, and increased interactions with primary health care. The insights from this study could potentially generate evidence-informed suicide prevention programs/policies for older adults in Canada