Assessing the Risk Factors for Suicide and Appropriate Intervention as a Prevention Method Among Older Adults

Abstract

Suicide rates among the older population are observed to be the highest worldwide. This systematic review presents the risk factors and prevention measures concerning suicide in the older adult population.A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed Central, Embase, Cochrane Library and CINAHL plus This systematic review used the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic reviews to identify and analyse research selected from the searches. The older adult population holds its own set of risk factors that are unique to them. The common themes presented were a history of mental health, chronic illnesses and marital issues, all of them strong risk factors for suicide in this population group. It identified the importance of the research focusing on personality and how this can affect people in different ways and at different stages in older adulthood, including the rationale behind suicide. Alongside personality, it also considered feelings of being a burden and the impact of feelings behind belongingness when assessing for suicidal risk. This systematic review found a unique set of relevant risk factors for this population group. This demonstrates the importance of appropriate support for effective prevention measures, such as telephone helplines or therapy.