RESUMEN

Introduction: Social disconnection and deaths by suicide among older adults are both important public health concerns, particularly in the context of ageing populations. The association between death ideation and behaviours, and social disconnection is well established and both functional and structural social relationships have been identified as predictive of suicide-related thoughts and behaviours. The "Wish to Die" (WTD) involves thoughts of or wishes for one's own death or that one would be better off dead is a commonly used indicator to capture death ideation. It has been shown to be as predictive as active ideation of future suicide attempt. Methods: Data were from a large cohort of community-dwelling older adults aged 50+, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Cross-sectional analyses of the association between numerous markers of social disconnection (loneliness, social isolation, living alone, marital status, social participation, volunteering, and attending religious service) and WTD were conducted. Results: Multiple markers of social disconnection were associated with a "wish to die". However, loneliness was the strongest risk factor while attendance of religious services was an important protective behaviour. Discussion: There is a strong association between social disconnection and a WTD among older adults. There is also a strong association between depression and a WTD, while attending religious services or similarly prosocial settings may protect older adults from experiencing negative thoughts about dying.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

We investigated the association between sedentary behavior (SB) and wish to die (WTD; i.e., feeling that one would be better off dead or wishing for one's own death), and the extent to which this can be explained by sleep problems, depression, anxiety, loneliness, perceived stress, and social network in a nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥50 years from Ireland. Cross-sectional data from Wave 1 of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing 2009-2011 were analyzed. WTD was defined as answering affirmatively to the question "In the last month, have you felt that you would rather be dead?" SB was used as a continuous variable (hours/day), and also as a categorical (< or ≥8 h/day) variable. Multivariable logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted. Data on 8163 adults aged ≥50 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 63.6 (9.1) years; 48.0% males]. Overall, ≥8 (vs. <8) hours/day of SB was associated with a significant 2.04 (95%CI = 1.50-2.76) times higher odds for WTD, while a 1-h increase in SB per day was associated with 1.11 (95%CI = 1.06-1.16) times higher odds for WTD. Mediation analysis showed that sleep problems, depression, loneliness, perceived stress, and social network explained a modest proportion of the association between SB and WTD (mediated percentage 9.3%-14.8%). The present cross-sectional study found that increasing or higher levels of SB is positively associated with WTD. Addressing the identified potential mediators may reduce WTD among people who are sedentary. However, future longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to make concrete recommendations.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

INTRODUCTION: Suicidal ambivalence is increasingly understood as the result of the interplay of two conflicting motivational orientations, the wish to die (WTD) and wish to live (WTL). However, research is scarce regarding the nature of their relationship, their temporal structure, and their relevance in predicting suicidal desire. METHODS: Fifty psychosomatic/psychiatric inpatients (17 reporting suicide attempts) took part in an intensive longitudinal design with 10 signal-contingent prompts per day over 10 days; assessing WTD, WTL, and suicidal desire. We calculated mean values and variability of WTD, WTL, suicidal ambivalence, and suicidal desire and tested mixed-effects models of suicidal desire. RESULTS: The mean number of answered prompts was 40.98 (SD = 21.68). Repeated-measures correlation of WTD and WTL was r = -0.60. Patients with a history of suicide attempts reported higher WTD, lower WTL, more suicidal ambivalence, stronger suicidal desire, and showed higher variability in all constructs. At the same assessment, WTD was the strongest statistical predictor of suicidal desire. Only WTL and the interaction of WTD and WTL predicted suicidal desire prospectively. CONCLUSION: Wish to die and WTL are likely two distinct (although correlated) constructs that should not be reduced to a single ambivalence score. A stronger focus on WTL holds potential for suicide research and practice.

RESUMEN

A phenomenon referred to as 'tiredness of life' or 'weariness of life' appears in current discussions on the legitimacy of euthanasia for relatively healthy older adults as well as in research on suicidality more broadly. However, a consensus conceptualization of the phenomenon is lacking. In the current paper, we offer such a conceptualization by reviewing and integrating knowledge from terminology, available descriptions, and first qualitative findings. Boredom with life, aversion towards life, meaninglessness, and fatigue are identified as central components of the phenomenon. Per component, we describe how the component was identified, our definition of the component and its foundation in descriptions in the literature, and empirical studies on how the component relates to euthanasia requests and suicidality. Moreover, hypotheses on the structure of the phenomenon are outlined, such as on interactions among and the importance of the different components.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: Suicide risk is highly fluctuating. There is a need for predictors of short-term change in suicide risk to optimize risk assessment and treatment, especially among individuals who already attempted suicide. METHODS: Based on 1776 daily assessments of 16 former psychiatric inpatients with a history of suicide attempts, we examined how suicidal ambivalence and, respectively, wish to die (WTD) and wish to live (WTL) predicted same-day and change in perceived suicide risk (i.e., next-day perceived suicide risk, controlled for same-day perceived suicide risk) in multilevel regression models. Additionally, based on the assumptions of nonlinear dynamics, we examined the associations between levels of fluctuations in the WTD/WTL and perceived suicide risk within the same time period. RESULTS: Suicidal ambivalence, WTD, and a WTL significantly correlated with same-day suicide risk. Suicidal ambivalence and WTD significantly predicted change in suicide risk. Fluctuations in WTD were significantly associated with concurrent suicide risk. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that suicidal ambivalence and WTD are drivers of suicide risk among individuals who already attempted suicide. The association between fluctuations in WTD and suicide risk was small and warrants further investigation on the practical utility as a warning sign.

RESUMEN

The entry into force of the Organic Law on the Regulation of Euthanasia in June 2021 obliges clinicians to reconsider their professional work, in the face of a new service that expands the limits of what was considered correct until then. This new service affects the entire healthcare system, but especially primary care professionals. Beyond the procedural and moral aspects, it is necessary to rethink the assessment of the patient who expresses a wish to die. In this review, we start with the relatively recent definition of the wish to hasten death (WTHD), its causes, epidemiology and differential diagnosis. Then, we examine the different mental frameworks found in the process of dying and the concept of a «good death¼. Finally, we analyse the paths that can lead to the provision of aid in dying within the framework of current legislation. The WTHD is specific to requests in case of «serious and advanced illness¼, not in other cases contemplated by the Law. When faced with a request to activate the Aid in Dying Prestation in the context of WTHD (that is, in the proximity of death), it becomes necessary to increase the patient's sense of control and begin to work on grief. Besides, in the face of an administrative process that will necessarily be long, adapting the therapeutic efforts and sedation should be considered as possible options. We understand that it is essential not to create false expectations for patients/families and not to overload healthcare professionals with administrative tasks that will be futile. It is difficult to balance these in the face of a request for a right to which the patient should always have access.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The expressions of a "wish to hasten death" or "wish to die" raise ethical concerns and challenges. These expressions are related to ethical principles intertwined within the field of medical ethics, particularly in end-of-life care. Although some reviews were conducted about this topic, none of them provides an in-depth analysis of the meanings behind the "wish to hasten death/die" based specifically on the ethical principles of autonomy, dignity, and vulnerability. The aim of this review is to understand if and how the meanings behind the "wish to hasten death/die" relate to and are interpreted in light of ethical principles in palliative care. METHODS: We conducted a meta-ethnographic review according to the PRISMA guidelines and aligned with Noblit and Hare's framework. Searches were performed in three databases, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, with no time restrictions. Original qualitative studies exploring the meanings given by patients, family caregivers and healthcare professionals in any context of palliative and end-of-life care were included. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. PROSPERO registration CRD42023360330. RESULTS: Out of 893 retrieved articles, 26 were included in the analysis, accounting for the meanings of a total of 2,398 participants. Several factors and meanings associated with the "wish to hasten death" and/or "wish to die" were identified and are mainly of a psychosocial and spiritual nature. The ethical principles of autonomy and dignity were the ones mostly associated with the "wish to hasten death". Ethical principles were essentially inferred from the content of included articles, although not explicitly stated as bioethical principles. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-ethnographic review shows a reduced number of qualitative studies on the "wish to hasten death" and/or "wish to die" explicitly stating ethical principles. This suggests a lack of bioethical reflection and reasoning in the empirical end-of-life literature and a lack of embedded ethics in clinical practice. There is a need for healthcare professionals to address these topics compassionately and ethically, taking into account the unique perspectives of patients and family members. More qualitative studies on the meanings behind a wish to hasten death, their ethical contours, ethical reasoning, and implications for clinical practice are needed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The experience of Wish to Die is common in patients living with Advanced Disease. It has been studied worldwide and qualitative studies have contributed to the understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon of the WTD but a deeper understanding on the individual's views is still needed. The objective of this study was to identify common characteristics of the experience of wish to die in advanced disease. METHODS: A phenomenological study was carried out with multicenter participation of patients with advanced disease who had expressed their wish to die to health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were employed to obtain an in-depth perspective of each patient's lived experience. A phenomenological analysis of the data collected was performed to describe and explore the characteristic aspects of the phenomenon under study. RESULTS: Fourteen patients with advanced disease were interviewed. Most of them had cancer. In the analysis of the patients' accounts of their experiences, three common characteristics were identified: a) experiencing a state of transience; b) the attempt to reconnect with oneself; and c) additional disease-related aspects that influence the wish to die. Patients expressed the need for a safe space to address the wish to die and the importance of receiving care that considers both 'being' and 'doing'. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced disease and wish to die experience a state of transience where the patient lives and ephemeral state of existence. Interventions focused on reinforcing the intrinsic value of the individual emerge as essential components of a compassionate accompaniment of those facing the wish to die.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Euthanasia has been incorporated into the health services of seven countries. The legalisation of these practices has important repercussions for the competences of nurses, and it raises questions about their role. When a patient with advanced disease expresses a wish to die, what is expected of nurses? What are the needs of these patients, and what kind of care plan do they require? What level of autonomy might nurses have when caring for these patients? The degree of autonomy that nurses might or should have when it comes to addressing such a wish and caring for these patients has yet to be defined. Recognising the wish to die as a nursing diagnosis would be an important step towards ensuring that these patients receive adequate nursing care. This study-protocol aims to define and validate the nursing diagnosis wish to die in patients with advanced disease, establishing its defining characteristics and related factors; to define nursing-specific interventions for this new diagnosis. METHODS: A prospective three-phase study will be carried out. Phase-A) Foundational knowledge: an umbrella review of systematic reviews will be conducted; Phase-B) Definition and validation of the diagnostic nomenclature, defining characteristics and related factors by means of an expert panel, a Delphi study and application of Fehring's diagnostic content validation model; Phase-C) Definition of nursing-specific interventions for the new diagnosis. At least 200 academic and clinical nurses with expertise in the field of palliative care or primary health care will be recruited as participants across the three phases. DISCUSSION: The definition of the wish to die as a nursing diagnosis would promote greater recognition and autonomy for nurses in the care of patients who express such a wish, providing an opportunity to alleviate underlying suffering through nursing-specific interventions and drawing attention to the needs of patients with advanced disease. The new diagnosis would be an addition to nursing science and would provide a framework for providing care to people with advanced disease who express such a wish. Nurses would gain professional autonomy about identifying, exploring and responding clinically to such a wish.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Identifying suicidal risk based on clinical assessment is challenging. Suicidal ideation fluctuates, can be downplayed or denied, and seems stigmatizing if divulged. In contrast, vitality is foundational to subjectivity in being immediately conscious before reflection. Including its assessment may improve detection of suicidal risk compared to relying on suicidal ideation alone. We hypothesized that objective motility measures would be associated with vitality and enhance assessment of suicidal risk. METHODS: We evaluated 83 adult-psychiatric outpatients with a DSM-5 bipolar (BD) or major depressive disorder (MDD): BD-I (n = 48), BD-II (20), and MDD (15) during a major depressive episode. They were actigraphically monitored continuously over 3 weekdays and self-rated their subjective states at regular intervals. We applied cosinor analysis to actigraphic data and analyzed associations of subjective psychopathology measures with circadian activity parameters. RESULTS: Actigraphic circadian mesor, amplitude, day- and nighttime activity were lower with BD versus MDD. Self-rated vitality (wish-to-live) was significantly lower, self-rated suicidality (wish-to-die) was higher, and their difference was lower, with BD versus MDD. There were no other significant diagnostic differences in actigraphic sleep parameters or in self-rated depression, dysphoria, or anxiety. By linear regression, the difference between vitality and passive suicidal ideation was strongly positively correlated with mesor (p < 0.0001), daytime activity (p < 0.0001), and amplitude (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher circadian activity measures reflected enhanced levels of subjective vitality and were associated with lesser suicidal ideation. Current suicidal-risk assessment might usefully include monitoring of motility and vitality in addition to examining negative affects and suicidal thinking.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The internal debate hypothesis (Kovacs & Beck, 1977) suggests that those at risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors may experience fluctuations in both the wish to live (WTL) and wish to die (WTD). Previous research has investigated this hypothesis using various cross-sectional (Goods et al., 2019 [cf. Page & Stritzke, 2020]) and longitudinal methodologies (e.g., Bryan et al., 2016). No investigations have determined the within-day temporal dynamics of WTL and WTD using ecological moment assessment (EMA), however. N = 49 undergraduate university students recruited from a research participant pool from a large southeastern university in the United States with a lifetime history of suicide ideation completed the current 10-day EMA investigation. Results demonstrated that WTL, WTD, and resulting suicidal ambivalence (i.e., relatively equal WTL/WTD ratings) demonstrated similar within-person person variability; however, WTD scores appeared to demonstrate higher average variability compared to WTL and ambivalence scores. Although state WTL and WTD were concurrently related to state suicidal desire, only WTD prospectively predicted suicidal desire when controlling for the influence of the outcome variable at the previous timepoint. Ambivalence scores also prospectively predicted suicidal desire when controlling for suicidal desire at the previous timepoint. Results support the clinical and theoretical utility of separate WTL and WTD assessment. WTD was relatively stable within this sample but may be closely related to risk for future suicidal thinking. Changes in WTL may reduce state risk for suicidal desire but could be more trait-like in nature compared to WTD. Future research that investigates these hypotheses should consider the study limitations outlined.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: The wish to die (WTD) in persons near the end of life is a clinically important, ethically and practically complex phenomenon as demonstrated by the intense debates on assisted dying legislation around the world. Despite global aging and increasing institutionalization in old age, WTD among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) is underexplored. We aimed to assess the prevalence of WTD and identify its predictors in older LTCF residents. DESIGN: Multisite cross-sectional observational study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 31 LTCF in the 3 major linguistic regions of Switzerland, including residents 75 years or older, admitted to the LTCF 4 to 10 months before the study, without severe cognitive impairment. METHODS: Between February 2013 and June 2017, trained research staff interviewed residents to assess WTD using 2 validated instruments and collected information on potential predictors, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, demoralization, feeling to be a burden, spiritual distress, symptom burden, multimorbidity, and drug use. Demographic data were obtained by chart review. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: From 427 eligible residents, 101 were excluded, 46 refused, and 280 were included in the study (acceptance rate 85.9%). In general, residents readily and openly addressed the topic of WTD. The prevalence of WTD was 16.0% and 16.2% according to the 2 instruments, with all but 1 of the residents expressing a passive WTD. The strongest independent predictors for a WTD were depressive symptoms (OR 7.45 and 5.77 for the 2 WTD assessment instruments) and demoralization (OR 2.62 and 3.66). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The WTD is a relevant concern affecting approximately 1 in 6 LTCF residents. Further research is needed to investigate which interventions could best address the potentially modifiable factors that were associated with the WTD in this specific setting and population.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Physical multimorbidity (i.e., ≥2 chronic conditions) may induce feelings of wish to die (WTD), but there is limited literature on this topic, while the mediators in this association are largely unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate this association and its mediators among older Irish adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional, nationally representative data from Wave 1 of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing 2009-2011 were analyzed. Information on self-reported lifetime diagnosis of 14 chronic physical conditions were obtained. WTD was defined as answering affirmatively to the question "In the last month, have you felt that you would rather be dead?" Multivariable logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Data on 2941 adults aged ≥65 years [mean (SD) age 73.2 (5.2) years; 45.0 % males] were analyzed. Physical multimorbidity was associated with 3.39 (95%CI 1.58, 7.28) times higher odds for WTD. This association was largely explained by pain (% mediated 28.1 %), followed by depression (19.4 %), sleep problems (18.4 %), perceived stress (13.0 %), loneliness (10.4 %), anxiety (8.1 %), and disability (7.2 %). CONCLUSIONS: Multimorbidity was associated with increased odds for WTD among Irish older adults. Addressing the identified mediators may contribute to reducing feelings of WTD among older adults with multimorbidity.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The wish to hasten death has been little researched in the area of Mediterranean countries and we are not aware of specific studies on its particularities in home care in our setting. The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence and evolution of wish to hasten death in home care, analysing its relationship with physical, emotional, spiritual, ethical and social-family unrest. METHODS: Longitudinal observational study in palliative home care in Catalonia. 43 teams agreed on the level of complexity after the first visit and after the discharge of the patient with the HexCom model, which classifies the desire to anticipate death into Low complexity (no or sporadic manifestation); Medium (persistent desire that requires specific treatment); or High (persistent desire that is considered potentially refractory). For the comparison of proportions, Pearson's Chi-squared test was used and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, in which the dependent variable corresponded to the desire to hasten initial death. The level of significance was p≤0.05. RESULTS: The total number of patients included in this study was 1,677, of whom 1,169 (69.7%) were oncologic. The prevalence of desire to hasten death was 6.67%. It was related to spiritual distress, especially lack of meaning (OR 3.25) and lack of connection (OR 3.81), to psychoemotional distress (OR 2.34) and to ethical distress. Protective factors were spiritual distress in relation to transcendence (OR 0.50), the caregiver being a partner (OR 0.50) and being cared for by a team that included psychology and social work (OR 0.34). The desire to anticipate death is stable in 71.6% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The desire to anticipate death is a changing and complex phenomenon that can emerge at any time. The presence of psycho-emotional, spiritual-existential and ethical discomfort, especially in patients without a partner, should make us take a proactive attitude to identify it early.

OBJETIVO: El deseo de adelantar la muerte ha sido poco investigado en el área de los países mediterráneos y no conocemos estudios específicos sobre sus particularidades en atención domiciliaria en nuestro entorno. El objetivo de este trabajo fue investigar la prevalencia y la evolución del deseo de anticipar la muerte en atención domiciliaria, analizando su relación con el malestar físico, emocional, espiritual, ético y sociofamiliar. METODOS: Estudio observacional longitudinal en el ámbito de la atención domiciliaria paliativa en Catalunya. 43 equipos acordaron el nivel de complejidad tras la primera visita y tras el alta del paciente con el modelo HexCom, el cual clasifica el deseo de anticipar la muerte en complejidad Baja (manifestación nula o esporádica); Media (Deseo persistente que requiere tratamiento específico); o Alta (Deseo persistente que se considera potencialmente refractario). Para la comparación de proporciones se utilizó la prueba de Ji cuadrado de Pearson y se realizó un análisis de regresión logística multivariante, en el que la variable dependiente correspondía con el deseo de adelantar la muerte inicial. El nivel de significación fue p≤0,05. RESULTADOS: El número total de pacientes incluidos en este estudio fue de 1.677, de los cuales 1.169 (69,7%) eran oncológicos. La prevalencia de deseo de anticipar la muerte fue del 6,67%. Se relacionó con el malestar espiritual, ante todo con la falta de sentido (OR 3,25) y de conexión (OR 3,81), con el malestar psicoemocional (OR 2,34) y con el malestar ético. Fueron factores protectores el malestar espiritual en relación con la transcendencia (OR 0,50), que el cuidador fuese la pareja (OR 0,50) y ser atendido por un equipo en el que se incluyese psicología y trabajo social (OR 0,34). El deseo de anticipar la muerte fue estable en el 71,6% de los pacientes. CONCLUSIONES: El deseo de anticipar la muerte es un fenómeno cambiante y complejo que puede emerger en cualquier momento. La presencia de malestar psicoemocional, espiritual-existencial y ético, sobre todo en pacientes sin pareja, nos han de hacer tomar una actitud proactiva para identificarlo precozmente.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Literature shows that middle-aged and older adults sometimes experience a wish to die. Reasons for these wishes may be complex and involve multiple factors. One important question is to what extent people with a wish to die have medically classifiable conditions. AIM: (1) Estimate the prevalence of a current wish to die among middle-aged and older adults in The Netherlands; (2) explore which factors within domains of vulnerability (physical, cognitive, social and psychological) are associated with a current wish to die; (3) assess how many middle-aged and older adults with a current wish to die do not have a medically classifiable condition and/or an accumulation of age-related health problems. METHODS: Data of 2015/16 from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used for this cross-sectional study (1563 Dutch middle-aged and older adults aged between 57 and 99 years), obtained through structured medical interviews and self-reported questionnaires. Three experienced physicians assessed whether the participants with a current wish to die could be classified as having a medically classifiable condition and/or an accumulation of age-related health problems. RESULTS: N = 62 participants (4.0%) had a current wish to die. Having a current wish to die was associated with multiple characteristics across four domains of vulnerability, among which: self-perceived health, problems with memory, self-perceived quality of life and meaningfulness of life. Fifty-four participants with a current wish to die were assessed with having a medically classifiable condition, of which one was also assessed with having an accumulation of age-related health problems. Six people were assessed to have neither, and for two people it was unclear. CONCLUSION: A small minority of middle-aged and older adults in the Netherlands have a current wish to die. Most of them can be classified with a medical condition and one person with an accumulation of age-related health problems. Furthermore, the findings show that having a current wish to die is multi-faceted. There is still a need for more knowledge, such as insight in to what extent suffering stemming from the medical classifiable disease contributes to the development of the wish to die.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: A wish to die is common in elderly people. Concerns about death wishes among the elderly have risen in Ghana, where the ageing transition is comparable to other low-and middle-income countries. However, nationally representative research on death wishes in the elderly in the country is not readily available. Our study aimed to assess the determinants of the wish to die among the elderly in Ghana. METHODS: We analysed data from the World Health Organisation Global Ageing and Adult Health Survey, Wave 1 (2007-2008) for Ghana. Data on the wish to die, socio-demographic profiles, health factors and substance abuse were retrieved from 2147 respondents aged 65 and above. Ages of respondents were categorised as 65-74 years; 75-84 years; 85+ to reflect the main stages of ageing. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the association between these factors and the wish to die. RESULTS: Age, sex, place of residence, education, body mass index, hypertension, stroke, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, income, diabetes, visual impairment, hopelessness and depression had statistically significant associations with a wish to die. Older age cohorts (75-84 and 85+) were more likely to have the wish to die (AOR = 1.05, CI = 1.02-1.16; AOR = 1.48, CI = 1.22-1.94), compared to younger age cohorts (65-74 years). Persons who felt hopeless had higher odds (AOR = 2.15, CI = 2.11-2.20) of experiencing the wish to die as compared to those who were hopeful. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the relationship between socio-demographic (i.e., age, sex, education and employment), hopelessness, anthropometric (body mass index), other health factors and the wish to die among the elderly in Ghana, specific biopsychosocial health promotion programmes, including timely identification of persons at risk, for appropriate intervention (e.g., psychotherapy, interpersonal support, alcohol-tobacco cessation therapy, clinical help) to promote their wish for a longer life is needed.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: 'Wish to Die' (WTD) involves thoughts of or wishes for one's own death or that one would be better off dead. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence, longitudinal course and mortality-risk of WTD in community-dwelling older people. DESIGN: Observational study with 6-year follow-up. SETTING: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a nationally representative cohort of older adults. SUBJECTS: In total, 8,174 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years. METHODS: To define WTD, participants were asked: 'In the last month, have you felt that you would rather be dead?' Depressive symptoms were measured using the CES-D. Mortality data were compiled by linking administrative death records to individual-level survey data from the study. RESULTS: At Wave 1, 3.5% of participants (279/8,174) reported WTD. Both persistent loneliness (OR 5.73 (95% CI 3.41-9.64)) and depressive symptoms (OR 6.12 (95% CI 4.33-8.67)) were independently associated with WTD.Of participants who first reported WTD at Wave 1 or 2, 72% did not report WTD when reassessed after 2 years, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms (-44%) and loneliness (-19%) was more likely to decline in this group at follow-up.Fifteen per cent of participants expressing WTD at Wave 1 died during a 6-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: WTD amongst community-dwelling older people is frequently transient and is strongly linked with the course of depressive symptoms and loneliness. An enhanced focus on improving access to mental health care and addressing social isolation in older people should therefore be a public health priority, particularly in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Self-harm is a significant public health issue, and both our understanding and ability to predict adverse outcomes are currently inadequate. The current study explores how preventative efforts could be aided through short-term prediction and modelling of risk factors for self-harm. METHODS: Patients (72% female, Mage = 40.3 years) within an inpatient psychiatric facility self-reported their psychological distress, interpersonal circumstances, and wish to live and die on a daily basis during 3690 unique admissions. Hierarchical logistic regressions assessed whether daily changes in self-report and history of self-harm could predict self-harm, with machine learning used to train and test the model. To assess interrelationships between predictors, network and cross-lagged panel models were performed. RESULTS: Increases in a wish to die (ß = 1.34) and psychological distress (ß = 1.07) on a daily basis were associated with increased rates of self-harm, while a wish to die on the day prior [odds ratio (OR) 3.02] and a history of self-harm (OR 3.02) was also associated with self-harm. The model detected 77.7% of self-harm incidents (positive predictive value = 26.6%, specificity = 79.1%). Psychological distress, wish to live and die, and interpersonal factors were reciprocally related over the prior day. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term fluctuations in self-reported mental health may provide an indication of when an individual is at-risk of self-harm. Routine monitoring may provide useful feedback to clinical staff to reduce risk of self-harm. Modifiable risk factors identified in the current study may be targeted during interventions to minimise risk of self-harm.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This article analyzes suicidal behavior and how its inherent processes of death ideation can overlap with those seeking euthanasia. We present a literature review of three main events in suicide (suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and suicide) in different populations and evaluate implications for health-care practice and risk assessment taking into account the context of euthanasia. We ponder upon the motives behind suicide and its link with wish to die requests to hasten death. We discuss the possibility of the reversal of a wish to die as well as a potential process of differentiating between individuals who would maintain their wish and benefit from termination of life and others who would later change their minds.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Elderly people frequently express the wish to die: this ranges from a simple wish for a natural death to a more explicit request for death. The frequency of the wish to die and its associated factors have not been assessed in acute hospitalization settings. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and determinants of the wish to die in elderly (≥65 years) patients hospitalized in an internal medicine ward. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 May, 2018, and 30 April, 2019, in an acute care internal medicine ward in a Swiss university hospital. Participants were a consecutive sample of 232 patients (44.8% women, 79.3 ± 8.1 years) with no cognitive impairment. Wish to die was assessed using the Schedule of Attitudes toward Hastened Death-senior and the Categories of Attitudes toward Death Occurrence scales. RESULTS: Prevalence of the wish to die was 8.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.3-13.0). Bivariate analysis showed that patients expressing the wish to die were older (P = .014), had a lower quality of life (P < .001), and showed more depressive symptoms (P = .044). Multivariable analysis showed that increased age was positively (odds ratio [OR] for a 5-year increase: 1.43, 95% CI 0.99-2.04, P = .048) and quality of life negatively (OR: 0.54, 95% CI 0.39-0.75, P < 0.001) associated with the likelihood of wishing to die. Participants did not experience stress during the interview. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of the wish to die among elderly patients admitted to an acute hospital setting is low, but highly relevant for clinical practice. Older age increases and better quality of life decreases the likelihood of wishing to die. Discussion of death appears to be well tolerated by patients.

Asunto(s)