People with dementia are more likely to have suicidal thoughts but are not necessarily more likely to attempt or die by suicide than the general population, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Ageing Research Reviews , analyzed 54 studies that investigated various aspects of mental health —including the prevalence and risk of suicide—in people with dementia, between 1991 and 2023. Dementia is an escalating global health challenge, affecting an estimated 55 million people worldwide.
Alongside impacting cognitive abilities , people with dementia often experience debilitating neurological and psychological symptoms such as depression, apathy, aggression and anxiety. These symptoms can sometimes lead to heightened emotional distress and, in some cases, suicidal ideation. The researchers pooled data from 20 studies that reported on suicidal thoughts in people with dementia, that involved more than 1.
5million people. They found that 10% of people with dementia had experienced suicidal thoughts compared to the World Health Organization's estimate of 2% for the general population. Those with moderate dementia were more at risk of suicidal ideation than those with mild dementia.
However, after reviewing data from more than 3.7million people with dementia, the researchers found that the prevalence of attempted suicide or death by suicide was approximately the same as the prevalence found in the general population- with 0.8% of people with dementia atte.