Mitigating Depression and Suicide Risk in Older Adult Trauma Patients

Area of Science:

• Geriatric trauma care
• Suicide prevention research
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Suicide is a leading cause of death in older adults (≥65 years), with firearms involved in over 70% of cases.
• Medical, financial, and social stressors increase suicide risk in older adults, and traumatic injury can worsen depression and suicidality.
• Relying solely on depression screening may not identify all at-risk older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess depressive symptoms, suicidality, and firearm ownership in older adult trauma patients using the Geri-screen tool.
• To determine the prevalence of high-risk individuals (depressive symptoms, positive suicidality screen, or both) in this population.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of depression screening alone versus combined screening.

Main Methods:

• The Geri-screen study surveyed adults aged ≥55 years at five Level I trauma centers.
• Data from one site (n=100) analyzed depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and suicidality (ASQ).
• High-risk was defined as PHQ-9 score ≥5, any positive ASQ response, or both.

Main Results:

• Of 100 participants, 19% owned firearms. 52% were classified as high-risk.
• Four participants screened negative for depression but positive for suicidality.
• Among firearm owners, 47% were high-risk, comprising 9% of the total study population.

Conclusions:

• Approximately half of older adult trauma patients screened high-risk for suicide.
• Combined screening for depression, suicidality, and firearm ownership is essential, as depression screening alone is insufficient.
• The Geri-screen tool offers a comprehensive approach for older adult trauma admissions.