Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
-
Multicenter Study
Screening for Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Older Adults in the Emergency Department.
To estimate the prevalence of self-harm, suicidal ideation (SI), and suicide attempts (SA) in older adults in the emergency department (ED), including differences according to age, sex, and race and ethnicity. ⋯ Documented screening for suicide risk declined with age in this large sample of individuals in the ED. Although the reason for this finding is unclear, at least part of the decline may be related to increasing rates of altered mentation or other individual-level barriers to screening in the older population. These findings support the need for more-detailed examination of the best methods for identifying-and treating-suicide risk in older adults.