J Korean Geriatr Psychiatry.  2014 Oct;18(2):45-50. 10.0000/jkgp.2014.18.2.45.

Association of Pain with Suicidality in Depressed Elderly

• Oh KS
• Han KH
• Park JE
• Sohn JH
• Cho MJ

• KMID: 2334647
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.0000/jkgp.2014.18.2.45

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the factors associated with suicidality among the elderly, focusing pain as the potential correlate.
METHODS
This study was a community-based, cross-sectional study that included 413 elderly subjects aged 60 years and over with depression. Suicidality and pain were evaluated using Suicidal Ideation Scale and Geriatric Pain Measure, respectively. Participants were classified into two groups : 1) those with mild-to-moderate pain ; 2) those with severe pain. The risk of suicidality was determined using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, education, literacy status, marital status, living arrangement, the type of medical insurance, employment status, and the number of chronic medical illnesses.
RESULTS
Among all subjects with depression, fifty-one (12.3%) presented clinically significant levels of suicidality. Those with severe pain were more likely to have suicidal idea (adjusted odds ratio : 20.49 ; 95% confidence interval : 8.15-51.51 ; p value : < 0.001) than those with mild-to-moderate pain, after adjusting for other variables. Other sociodemographic and clinical variables were not associated with the risk of suicide after adjustment.
CONCLUSION
The severity of pain was strongly and independently associated with suicidality in the elderly individuals. This study suggests that the pain management should be emphasized to lower the rate of suicide in those experiencing depression in the late-adulthood.

Keyword

Suicidal ideation; Pain; Elderly; Chronic disease; Depression

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Chronic Disease
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression
Education
Employment
Humans
Insurance
Logistic Models
Marital Status
Odds Ratio
Pain Management
Residence Characteristics
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide