Apples for Health- Sedatives may increase elder suicide risk

Sedatives may increase elder suicide risk

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, June 4 (UPI) -- Sleeping pills have been associated with a four-fold increase in suicide risk in the elderly, researchers in Sweden found.

Anders Carlsten and Margda Waern of Gothenburg University carried out a case control study to determine if specific types of psychoactive drugs were associated with suicide risk in later life.

The study, published in the journal BMC Geriatrics, found that even after adjusting for the presence of psychiatric conditions, sedatives and hypnotics were both associated with an increased risk of suicide.

"Sedative treatment was associated with an almost 14-fold increase of suicide risk in the crude analyses and remained an independent risk factor for suicide even after adjustment for the presence of mental disorders. Having a current prescription for a hypnotic was associated with a four-fold increase in suicide risk in the adjusted model," the study authors said in a statement.

However, the study authors also said there is a possibility these drugs may merely be markers for some other factor related to suicide risk, such as somatic illness, functional disability, alcohol use disorder, interpersonal problems, lack of social network or sleep disturbance.

"Persons with these problems might be more likely to seek healthcare and perhaps more likely to receive prescriptions for psychotropic drugs," the researchers said.