Differences between suicide attempters and non-attempters in depressed older patients: Depression severity white matter lesions and cognitive functioning

摘要

ObjectivesOlder adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) have the highest population-rate of suicide. White matter brain lesions (WML) are a potential biological marker for suicidality in young and middle-age adults and are correlated with cognitive impairment (CI) in older adults. In the current study of older patients with MDD, we examined 1) if a history of suicide attempts was associated with a more severe course of MDD; 2) if WML are a biological marker for suicide; and 3) if suicide attempt history is associated with CI mediated by WML.