Age Moderates the Relation between Sleep Problems and Suicide Risk

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This cross-sectional study examined whether age moderates the relation between sleep problems and suicide risk and investigated whether sleep problems are differentially associated with suicide risk in younger (18–40) and older (60+) adults.

Methods

MTurk workers (N = 733) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire–Revised, Patient Health Questionnaire, and demographic questions. Analysis of variance and linear regressions were utilized.

Results

Older adults scored lower on four PSQI components, symptoms of depression, and suicide risk than younger adults. Age significantly moderated the relation between sleep problems and suicide risk after controlling for gender and depressive symptoms, F(5, 635) = 72.38, p < .001. Sleep problems significantly related to suicide risk in younger adults (t = 6.47, p < .001) but not in older adults (t = 0.57, p = .57). Sleep medication use was related to suicide risk in both groups, whereas daytime dysfunction was related to suicide risk in older adults and sleep disturbances were related to suicide risk in younger adults.

Conclusions

The relation between sleep problems and suicide risk differs between younger and older adults. This study adds to the literature suggesting that sleep medications may not be appropriate for older adults.

Clinical Implications

Sleep problems are significantly related to suicide risk in younger adults but not older adults. Sleep medication use is associated with suicide risk regardless of age.

KEYWORDS:

• Sleep
• older adult
• medication
• suicide
• depression
• daytime dysfunction

Clinical implications

• After accounting for gender and depressive symptoms, sleep problems are significantly associated with greater suicide risk for adults ages 18-40 but not for adults ages 60 and older.

• Previous research has found that reducing sleep problems, such as insomnia, is related to reduced suicidality, and our results support this relation. Clinicians treating suicidal patients would be wise to assess and address sleep problems in this population.

• Sleep medication use is associated with greater suicide risk. In both younger and older adults, the assessment of suicide risk among those taking sleep medications and discussion of decreasing or eliminating sleep medication may be of benefit.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.