A one-hour online talk heard from keynote speakers on the importance of understanding the “heightened risk” of self-harm and suicide risk in older people. 
Yorkshire and the Humber Clinical Networks hosted the online conversation session which examined the issue of self-harm being a leading factor for suicide, with elevated rates among older people.
Speaker Dr Cathy Morgan, a research fellow at The University of Manchester, spoke about her study which found that among an older aged population following self harm, there was a high risk of unnatural death (20 times greater) particularly suicide; low rates of referral – which are even lower in deprived areas, and high rates of prescribing including tricyclic antidepressants.
She highlighted future considerations including the importance of self-harm risk in older people, being mindful of under reporting due to reluctance to engage and differing motivators of self-harm in older people.
Dr Isabela Troya, a Government of Ireland Fellow at the School of Public Health, University College Cork and the National Suicide Research Foundation, described her evidence review findings of ‘distinct characteristics’ of self-harm in older adults – including increased suicidal intent, increased comorbidities and increased access to means (linked to comorbidity) - which should be explored to improve management and care.
She said there was the opportunity for prevention and detection of self-harm in older adults in primary care and other health services.
Dr Troya said themes emerged from her qualitative study into the reasons why older adults self-harm, which included self-harm having been experienced through the life-course, different stressors contributing to self-harm and that the functions for self-harm varied.
Among the study’s conclusions were that older adults may have comorbid and complex health conditions which results in contact with primary care, help-seeking is often delayed due to stigma and shame and that clinicians should be aware of the “heightened risk” of self-harm in this age group so adequate support or referral is provided.
Slides from the conversation sessions are here (and in our resources section under 'self-harm') and follow this link to a recording of the session.