Self-harm risk elevated in first months after dementia diagnosis

Patients with dementia are most likely to self-harm within the first 24 months after diagnosis, according to a poster presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

“Coping with the stress of a dementia diagnosis can be difficult, especially knowing that neither a cure nor an effective treatment have been found yet,” study author Simone Reppermund, PhD, of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, told Healio. “Families and friends watch their loved one lose parts of themselves — their memories, their speech, their ability to perform everyday tasks — and it takes a toll on all parties. If the strain and hurt becomes too much, a person with dementia may begin to self-harm, which is not only dangerous for the person, but devastating for a family wanting desperately to protect them.”

Using data from hospital admissions, ED presentations and ambulatory mental health visits, Reppermund and colleagues conducted a study including 154,811 people with dementia, 652 of which had a subsequent diagnosis of self-harm.

Those who were most likely to self-harm were younger at the time of their dementia diagnosis and were more likely to be male. Self-harm diagnosis occurred most often within the first 24 months after a dementia diagnosis.

The researchers reported that the most frequent comorbidities with dementia and self-harm were drug or alcohol use, depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorder.

“Throughout the project we worked closely with a project advisory group, consisting of people with dementia and carers,” Reppermund said. “They were involved in all aspects of the study, and it was on their suggestion that we actually looked closer at the period close after receiving the diagnosis of dementia. I think it is important for most research projects to include people with a lived experience to get the best and most meaningful results.”