title: Insomnia symptoms, nightmares, and suicidal ideation in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prior research has found that insomnia symptoms and nightmares are associated with suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and death by suicide. However, to the best of our knowledge, no research has examined the relation between insomnia symptoms, nightmares, and suicidal ideation in older adults. The current project aimed to fill this void by investigating the relation between insomnia symptoms, nightmares, and suicidal ideation in an older adult sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study utilized a cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 81 older adult patients (age ≥ 65 years) recruited from a family medicine clinic. The participants were asked to complete surveys about their sleep, symptoms of depression, and suicidal ideation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Insomnia symptoms, but not nightmares, were significantly related to suicidal ideation. In addition, insomnia symptoms were related to suicidal ideation independent of nightmares. Furthermore, the relation between insomnia symptoms and suicidal ideation was mediated by depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings have implications for the identification and treatment of suicidal ideation in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, USA. michael@nadorff.com
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nadorff
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiske
authors.forename: Jeannie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sperry
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petts
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gregg
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004325:Dreams / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires