Cognitive Biases and Suicidal Ideation in Elderly Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract

Cognitive factors such as perceptions of poor health and negative expectancies toward the future may mediate relationships between health variables, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. In this study of risk factors associated with late life suicidal ideation, thirty older psychiatric inpatients were interviewed using standardized instruments. Self-reported symptoms of hopelessness, perceived health, and depression, as well as number of impaired medical illness systems were examined in relation to presence of suicidal thoughts. Several aspects of a cognitive model of suicide were supported using partial correlation and regression analyses. First, patients who were more depressed and suicidal had more negative cognitions than those who were less depressed and not suicidal. Second, depressive symptoms were strongly related to suicidal thoughts even after controlling for the patients' number of impaired illness systems. Third, cognitive factors versus health factors were shown to influence the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation. These findings emphasize the importance of cognitive biases in geriatric suicidal ideation.

Measuring character strengths as possible protective factors against suicidal ideation in older Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study

“…By contrast, at a decreased cognitive functioning level, older adults likely experience severe psychological pain (e.g., depression and hopelessness), which increases their risk of suicidal ideation [48]. Moreover, depressed individuals with negative beliefs and cognitive biases (e.g., biased self-referent cognitive style and hopelessness) showed a high level of suicide ideation [49]. Moreover, positive self-appraisals, functioning as a resilient factor, may buffer individuals from suicidal ideation [50,51].…”

Measuring Character Strengths as Possible Protective Factors against Suicidal Ideation in Older Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…By contrast, at a decreased cognitive functioning level, older adults likely experience severe psychological pain (e.g., depression and hopelessness), which increases their risk of suicidal ideation [48]. Moreover, depressed individuals with negative beliefs and cognitive biases (e.g., biased selfreferent cognitive style and hopelessness) showed a high level of suicide ideation [49]. Moreover, positive self-appraisals, functioning as a resilient factor, may buffer individuals from suicidal ideation [50,51].…”

Suicide Prevention in Older Adults.

“…Few measures are available to assess suicide ideation and related variables among older adults. Investigators have had to use suboptimal assessment procedures, including single-item measurement (e.g., Callahan, Hendrie, Nienaber, & Tierney, 1996) and combining items from different clinical measures (Byrne & Raphael, 1997; Szanto et al, 1996; Uncapher, 2000–2001). Application of well-validated measures of suicidal features among younger or psychiatric populations may not translate directly for use with older adults (American Psychological Association [APA], 2004; Anastasi & Urbina, 1997).…”

“…In 2002, 5548 Americans 65 years or older died by suicide, nearly seven times the number of lives lost due to homicide (WISQARS database; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). The ratio of suicide attempts to deaths for adults 65 or older is less than 4:1, compared with approximately 20:1 for the general population (Conwell et al, 1998; Mclntosh et al, 1994), reflecting age‐related increases in lethality of self‐destructive behavior (Krug, Dahlberg, Mercy, Zwi, & Lozano, 2002; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001).…”