The relationship between patterns of depression changes and suicide among older women in Korea

Using data on causes of death(suicide) among older Korean women using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2006 to 2020, we examined changes in depression levels among 405 women over a period of three years or more to examine the association between depression and suicide. The results of the authors' analysis indicate two primary depression trajectories: "maintaining" pattern (89.1%) and "rising" pattern (10.9%). The maintaining pattern showed a higher income compared to the rising pattern, and the rising pattern showed a higher proportion of residents living in urban areas, while the depression trajectories did not significantly influence suicide risk among older adults. In other words, the pattern of depression trajectory did not predict suicide risk. Despite the complexity of the relationship between depression and suicide in older adults, we emphasize the importance of comprehensive research and prevention strategies that take into account more than just depression.