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Cited by 55Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesAging, Health, and DisabilityPalliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

The relation between suicidal feelings and mental disorders in the elderly: Results from the Berlin Aging Study (BASE).

BARNOW, S., LINDEN, M., FREYBERGER, H.-J.·2004·Psychological Medicine
DOI 10.1017/s0033291703008912
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Abstract

Background. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the influence of several risk factors (particularly physical and mental disorders, loneliness and housing conditions) on the wish to die in the elderly. Method. Using data from a population-based sample of 516 senior citizens (70 to 103 years of age) in Berlin (Germany), we compared 54 persons with death wishes with 462 persons without death wishes on several psychosocial risk factors, physical health and psychiatric diagnoses. A logistic regression analysis was also conducted. Results. The data indicate that the wish to die is strongly associated with the presence of a mental disorder, especially major depression, while higher age, female gender, subjective assessment of physical health and negative living conditions were all only moderately related to death wishes. Conclusions. Our results emphasize the need for very careful diagnosis of death wishes in the very old and question the view that it is a normal and understandable phenomenon in older age.

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  • Seven studies (with eight publications) focused on death wishes/suicide ideation.

    “Seven studies (with eight publications) focused on death wishes/suicide ideation [27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34].”

    From A systematic review of social factors and suicidal behavior in older adulthood (2012) · cites this paper as [27]

  • Factors related to self-harm/non-fatal suicidal behavior were examined in six studies.

    “Factors related to self-harm/non-fatal suicidal behavior were examined in six studies [27,35,36,37,38,39].”

    From A systematic review of social factors and suicidal behavior in older adulthood (2012) · cites this paper as [27]

  • Marital status did not differ in persons who reported death wishes/suicidal thoughts/non-fatal suicidal behavior compared to those without death wishes in Germany.

    “Marital status did not differ in persons who reported death wishes/suicidal thoughts/non-fatal suicidal behavior compared to those without death wishes in Barnow’s population-based study set in Germany [27].”

    From A systematic review of social factors and suicidal behavior in older adulthood (2012) · cites this paper as [27]

  • Barnow reported significant associations for both living in nursing homes and living in senior citizens' homes in a German population-based study.

    “Barnow reported significant associations for both living in nursing homes and living in senior citizens’ homes in a German population-based study that identified factors associated death wishes/suicidal thoughts/non-fatal suicidal behavior [27].”

    From A systematic review of social factors and suicidal behavior in older adulthood (2012) · cites this paper as [27]

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Authors
BARNOW, S., LINDEN, M., & FREYBERGER, H.-J.
Affiliations
Universität Greifswald (DE)
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Medicine
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2004-04-21
Volume
34
Issue
4
Pages
741-746
ISSN
  • 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-8978
DOI
10.1017/s0033291703008912
OpenAlex
W2019987704
Cited by
55
References
19
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
FWCI
1.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
  • Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
Keywords
suicidal ideation, death wish, older adults, mental illness, major depressive disorder, psychosocial risk factors, loneliness, housing conditions, physical health, gender differences
MeSH terms
Suicide Prevention, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Attitude to Death, Mental Disorders, Berlin, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Suicide

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