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Late-life self-harm SH is often linked to depression. However, very few studies have explored the role of other factors and their interaction with depression in the occurrence of late-life SH. The objective of this research was to examine sociodemographic and gender factors associated with non-fatal SH, in older adults with and without antidepressant therapy.
We identified all those with at least one episode of non-fatal self-harm regardless of level of intent to die and matched 50 controls to each case. A nested caseβcontrol design was used to investigate sociodemographic factors associated with non-fatal SH in the total cohort and among antidepressant users and non-users.
Risk factors were analysed in adjusted conditional logistic regression models for the entire cohort and by gender. In all, individuals had at least one episode of a non-fatal SH men and women. Being unmarried was a risk factor for non-fatal SH in men but not in women.
Among users of antidepressants, higher non-fatal SH risk was observed in those born outside the Nordic countries IRR: 1. Foreign country of birth was associated with increased risk for non-fatal SH in older adults with and without AD therapies. Being married was a protective factor for non-fatal SH in men. The complex association between sociodemographic factors and use of antidepressants in the occurrence of self-harm in older men and women indicates the need for multifaceted tailored preventive strategies including healthcare and social services alike.
