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CME/CE Test

Suicide After a Dementia Diagnosis: What Is the Risk?

You are a member of the healthcare team seeing a 64-year-old man with mild dementia due to Alzheimer disease. He endorses symptoms of depression and anxiety. What should you consider regarding the epidemiology of mood disorders in dementia described in the previous study by Leung and colleagues?

The prevalence of depression is ≈ 70% in the setting of dementia

The prevalence of anxiety is ≈ 20% in the setting of dementia

Apathy is more common than depression or anxiety in the setting of dementia

Rates of mood disorders increase as dementia progresses
What did the current study by Alothman and colleagues find regarding the risk for suicide associated with dementia?

The risk for suicide was approximately 3-fold higher among adults with dementia vs adults without dementia

The risk for suicide was significantly elevated in cases of dementia diagnosed after age 65 years

The risk for suicide was significantly elevated in cases of dementia diagnosed during the prior 3 months

The risk for suicide was significantly elevated in cases of dementia among men but not women