Medscape (10/16, Brooks, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “older adults with a history of intentional self-harm are at risk of dying from unnatural causes, particularly suicide, yet they often are not referred for mental health care services.” The findings were published in Lancet Psychiatry. In an accompanying commentary, Rebecca Mitchell of Macquarie University in Australia, said the findings raise “questions regarding adherence to recommended clinical guidelines for the clinical management of older adults who self-harm and has signalled the need for improved quality of health care for this population.”
Healio (10/16) reports the researchers also found that “in the first year after self-harm, only about 12% of older adults were referred by a primary care physician to mental health services.” The researchers wrote that “self-harm among older people has received little attention compared with other age groups.”
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— Medscape (requires login and subscription)