Risk factors for dementia and self‐harm: A linkage study

Abstract

IntroductionPeople living with dementia experience poor mental health and high rates of self‐harm. We investigated risk factors for self‐harm in people aged > 40 years living with dementia and risk factors for dementia after self‐harm.MethodsUsing linked hospital data from New South Wales, Australia, we defined a dementia cohort (n = 154,811) and a self‐harm cohort (n = 28,972). Using survival analyses, we investigated predictors of self‐harm for the dementia cohort, and predictors of dementia for the self‐harm cohort.ResultsWe found self‐harm or dementia diagnoses occurred most often within 24 months of a dementia diagnosis or initial self‐harm presentation, respectively. Men living with dementia, and people with complex psychiatric profiles, had the greatest risk of self‐harm. Men who had self‐harmed had the greatest risk of dementia diagnoses.DiscussionMen and people with complex psychiatric profiles and dementia may particularly benefit from post‐diagnosis mental and behavioral support to reduce risk of self‐harm.