Loneliness 'chief reason older people feel they want to die' study finds
Loneliness and suicide among older adults have been increasing, study found.
Going to Mass can protect older people from feeling like they want to die but loneliness is the biggest driver behind people feeling like this, the latest data shows.
The Irish data shows feeling lonely later in life — over 50 years of age — makes people more likely to wish for death than living alone or being socially isolated does.
One in 10 of the 8,000 people studied showed serious signs of depression and 4% had felt they would rather be dead during the month before being interviewed.
People have a wish to die when they are thinking about their death and feeling they would be better off dead. This can indicate the person will attempt suicide.
Loneliness and suicide among older adults have been increasing, warned Mark Ward.
He is the lead author on this paper and senior research fellow at Tilda (the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing).
“Uniquely, we also show that attending religious services regularly can protect against death ideation among older adults in Ireland,” he said.
Other studies have shown going to Mass means people socialise more as well as getting spiritual support, the authors said.
They also highlighted historic stigma against suicide under the Catholic Church.
This may mean older Catholics are less likely to think about suicide or less likely to report these thoughts.
"While it is not clear whether it is the spiritual or the social aspect of attending church that provides the mechanism, our finding of the strong protective role of religious attendance also suggests a potential coping strategy that may be amenable to older adults," the Tilda paper said.
Mr Ward said: "Our findings again highlight the importance of promoting social activities and networks to safeguard against loneliness and related psychological distress."
The paper also points to the value of therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) in reducing depression and anxiety.
Overall, the paper adds to growing evidence “loneliness in later life is associated with an increased risk of individuals wishing for their own death", he said, adding this wish for death was often a precursor to suicidal thoughts or actions.
He pointed out, however, “prosocial behaviours” were found to protect people against having negative thoughts about their life.
These are communal activities such as volunteering, which help other people.
Robert Briggs, co-author and geriatrician at St James’s Hospital, said it was important to stay connected and socially active later in life.
He said the “wish to die” is strongly liked with future suicide attempts.
“An enhanced focus on improving access to mental healthcare and addressing social isolation in older people should therefore be a priority for policymakers,” he advised.
Regius Professor Rose Anne Kenny, geriatrician and principal investigator of Tilda, also warned loneliness and social isolation were rising among older people.
“This issue was particularly acute during the pandemic but continues to persist post-pandemic as some older individuals remain fearful or have lost confidence,” she said.
Tilda is carried out by Trinity College Dublin collaborating with experts from institutions including University College Cork and South East Technological University.
This paper: “Social disconnection correlates of a ‘Wish to Die’ among a large community-dwelling cohort of older adults” is published in the journal .
