Early dementia diagnosis detrimental
Doctors are being warned that an early diagnosis of dementia increases the likelihood of suicide, according to a report on ABC’s The World Today.
Associate Professor Brian Draper from the University of New South Wales, says that one study has found that people who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s early are eight to 10 times more likely to take their own lives.
Greater understanding of the condition means many more people are now made aware of what will happen to them before they are suffering symptoms.
He says that a Danish study published last year found that people aged 50 to 70 diagnosed with dementia were eight to 10 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. Dr Draper says it’s becoming more of an issue now because people are being diagnosed earlier.
He says that despite the greater risks, suicides are still relatively rare. Doctors need to be more careful about how they break the news to people and make sure they have support mechanisms in place, with good counselling to people in those first few months, not just about the diagnosis, but about the whole aspects of the situation that they might face.
