W-20: Honesty in Reporting Suicidal Ideations and Behaviors in Alzheimer’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Other Dementias

Poster Presenter

Rinah Yamamoto

Principal Scientist
Clinical ink
United States

Objectives

To determine whether patients with compromised cognitive abilities feel that they can be honest reporting suicidal ideations and behaviors using electronic self-report and/or face-to-face clinical interviews.

Method

73 patients reporting diagnoses such as AD, MCI or other dementias (ages 50 to >80, 55% female) completed online surveys. Participants were asked about their likelihood for honesty, their preferences and comfort when answering questions on SIB in-person and using electronic self-report.

Results

In patients with AD, MCI or other dementias, 95% reported they were likely to report SIB honestly electronically and 92% would be honest with a health care provider (HCP). However, when asked how likely they would be with an HCP they knew 96% would be honest in-person but if they didn’t know the HCP less than 88% said they would be honest (electronically, known HCP and unknown HCP Cochran’s Q p=0.02). If the patient had previously answered questions on SIB with an HCP, 98% would be likely to report SIB honestly using electronic self-report assessments, 96% in-person, if they knew the HCP, and 91.5% if they didn’t know the HCP. These numbers did not change significantly when selecting only those patients with depression; 96% would be honest using electronic self-report, 96% in-person with an HCP they knew, 93% with an HCP they did not know.

Conclusion

These data suggest that patients with cognitive conditions including Alzheimer’s Disease, mild cognitive impairment, and other dementias are slightly more likely to report SIB using electronic self-report than a clinical face to face interview but that either form of reporting is an effective methodology for obtaining honest responses about SIB. Taking the FDA guidance on suicidality and the potential for cognitive decrements in this population, multiple tools for assessing depression and SIB should be implemented when treating or working this population. Authors: Yamamoto RT, Durand EM, Tuller JM, Sadler ME, Dallabrida SM