(Psych Central) – Older adults who suffer from sleep difficulties are at greater risk of dying from suicide than well-rested adults, according to new research at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
The study confirmed the already established link between depression and suicide risk, while also investigating poor sleep as an independent risk factor.
“Our findings suggest that poor sleep quality may serve as a stand-alone risk factor for late-life suicide,” said lead author Rebecca Bernert, Ph.D., an instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Suicide Prevention Research Laboratory at Stanford.
“This is important because sleep disturbances are highly treatable, yet arguably less stigmatizing than many other suicide risk factors.”