Partner loss and suicide among older adults: A nationwide cohort study from Austria
Discuss this preprint
Start a discussion What are Sciety discussions?Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Background
Limited evidence motivated us to examine risk of suicide after partner loss among older adults in Austria.
Methods
All married older adults aged ≥65 years and living in Austria ( N =1,293,557) were followed during 2014-2023. Risk ratios (aRRs) for partner loss were calculated based on adjusted cumulative incidence functions.
Results
A total of 357 suicides occurred among widowed older adults. Incidence rates among widowed and not widowed were 56.9 and 29.4 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. High rates were found among widowed males (170.8/100,000) and widowers aged ≥85 (94.1/100,000). Suicide risk was highest in the first month (aRR, 13.6; 95%-CI: 8.7,22.4) but remained elevated up to five years after partner loss (aRR, 2.5; 95%-CI: 2.1, 2.8).
Conclusion
Recently bereaved older adults had elevated risks of suicide suggesting monitoring and psychosocial support may be beneficial when bereaved.
Keypoints
-
Older adults who had lost a partner had a twofold higher suicide risk than those who had not.
-
Suicide risk peaked during the first month after partner loss but remained elevated for up to five years.
-
Risk of suicide was more pronounced among widowed males than females.
