Living Alone With Depression, Anxiety May Up Suicide Risk

TOPLINE:

Living alone and having both depression and anxiety was associated with a 558% increase in risk for suicide compared with living with others and without these conditions, a new population-based study showed.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers assessed data for more than 3.7 million adults (mean age, 47.2 years; 56% men) from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) from 2009 through 2021 to determine the associations among living arrangements, mental health conditions (depression and anxiety), and risk for suicide.

• Living arrangements were categorized as either living alone (for ≥ 5 years) or living with others. Depression and anxiety were determined using NHIS claims.

• The primary outcome was death by suicide, identified using national death records; the mean follow-up duration was 11.1 years.

• Suicide cases were identified on the basis of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th Revision) codes.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, 3% of participants had depression, 6.2% had anxiety, and 8.5% lived alone. The mortality rate was 6.3%, with suicide accounting for 0.3% of all deaths.

• Compared with individuals living with others and without either depression or anxiety, those living alone and with both conditions had a 558% increased risk for suicide (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 6.58; 95% CI, 4.86-8.92; P < .001).

• Living alone and having depression only was associated with a 290% increased risk for suicide (AHR, 3.91), whereas living alone with anxiety only was associated with a 90% increased risk for suicide (AHR, 1.90).

• The association between living alone and risk for suicide was greater among middle-aged individuals (age, 40-64 years) with depression (AHR, 6.0) or anxiety (2.6), as well as in men (AHRs, 4.32 and 2.07, respectively).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings highlight the importance of considering living arrangements in individuals with depression or anxiety, especially for specific demographic groups, such as middle-aged individuals and men, in suicide risk assessments. Targeted interventions addressing these factors together are crucial to mitigate risk,” the investigators wrote.

Note: This article originally appeared on Medscape.