High Suicide Rates Linked to Gender, Sociodemographic Factors, and Antidepressants

A study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, revealed that older women who are also immigrants and have untreated depressions are more at risk of committing suicide than those born in the country.

Khedidja Hedna, a researcher from AgeCap, and lead author of the article, said that their findings indicate the public health system's need to address older foreign-born adults' needs, especially women.

There has been little research done to understand why there is a high suicidal risk among the 75+ age group. One known strategy to prevent suicide is through the use of antidepressant drugs. The research team decided to study what factors may contribute to the suicidal risk among older adults, with or without antidepressant therapy.

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Conducting the Study

The team analyzed and monitored the data from a large national population in Sweden for eight years. This includes more than 1.4 million inhabitants aged 75 and over, and during this period, 1,305 people died by suicide, among which 907 were men and 398 were women.

Among the 398 women, 164 had untreated depression, while 42 were born outside the Nordic region. This led the team to conclude an elevated suicide risk among older immigrant women, and the associated risk was higher among those who did not receive antidepressant medication.  

Although suicide in men is more common in most countries, there is a protective effect of being married only seen in men. Married men were less likely to commit suicide than those who were unmarried, regardless of whether they were taking antidepressant medication. 

Margda Waern, Professor of Psychiatry who led the study, highlights how healthcare services must perform outreach programs, especially among the vulnerable groups: older women born outside of the Nordic region and older men. These outreach services can help reduce social isolation and provide more personalized, gender-specific strategies for suicide prevention in psychiatric care, primary care, and social services. 

The results of their findings are published in the European Journal of Public Health.

Emigration and Suicide

Emigration is the process of leaving one's country to settle for an extended period or permanently in another country. There are higher psychopathology and suicidal behavior among immigrants due to the following factors: ending connection with their country of origin, sudden loss of social status, language barriers that may lead to feelings of inadequacy, and a sense of exclusion. All these factors can contribute to depression, which can result in hopelessness and suicidal behavior. 

Immigrants may live a condition similar to grief due to the loss of their previous social structure and culture. Although these feelings are natural consequences of emigration, seeking professional help is necessary if this kind of feeling lingers and causes significant distress. 

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