Mild cognitive impairment and suicidal ideation among adults aged 65 years or older from low- and middle-income countries

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
• Main Authors: Smith, Lee, López Sánchez, Guillermo Felipe, Soysal, Pinar, Veronese, Nicola, Jacob, Louis, Kostev, Karel, Rahmati, Masoud, Barnett, Yvonne, Keyes, Helen, Gibson, Poppy, Butler, Laurie, Shin, Jae Il, Koyanagi, Ai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Cognitive decline; Suicide risk; Suicidal thoughts; Public health
• ISSN: 1758-5368
• DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbae129

Mild cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a unique indicator of underlying distress that may be strongly associated with suicide risk. Despite this, to date, no study has examined the association between MCI and suicidal ideation. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the association between MCI and suicidal ideation among adults aged ≥65 years from six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa). Cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the World Health Organization's Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. MCI was defined using the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association criteria. Self-reported information on past 12-month suicidal ideation was collected. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis were conducted to assess associations. Data on 13,623 individuals aged ≥65 years were analyzed. The prevalence of suicidal ideation ranged from 0.5% in China to 6.0% in India, while the range of the prevalence of MCI was 9.7% (Ghana) to 26.4% (China). After adjustment for potential confounders, MCI was significantly associated with 1.66 (95%CI=1.12-2.46) times higher odds for suicidal ideation. MCI was significantly associated with higher odds for suicidal ideation among older adults in LMICs. Future longitudinal studies from LMICs are necessary to assess whether MCI is a risk factor for suicidal ideation.