Suicide prevention strategies for older persons—An integrative review of empirical and theoretical papers

Abstract

Aim: To synthesize suicide prevention strategies for older adults. The review question was Which suicide prevention strategies are useful for older adults?. Design: Integrative review. Data sources: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Ovid PsycINFO and PubMed were searched for articles published between January 2009 and December 2019. Review methods: An integrative review of quantitative, qualitative and theoretical papers with a qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Key aspects of the included studies contributed to the formulation of four themes: (1) Recognizing older adults’ physical and/or mental health problems and referring them for help and treatment, (2) Designing an educational programme, (3) Communication and dialogue about warning signs and (4) Social support and awareness of causing significant others emotional pain. The findings indicate an urgent need to identify effective suicide prevention strategies for older adults.