Older people who regularly attend church services or have more regular social contacts are significantly less likely to wish to die. This is the result of a study by the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda).

Professor Rose Anne Kenny, the main initiator of the study, told RTÉ’s ‘Today with Claire Byrne’ that her recent survey had shown that loneliness increased the risk of older people wishing for their own death.

The question asked was: “Have you felt like you would rather be dead in the last month?” Four percent of respondents answered “yes.”

“I find that pretty dramatic myself. And when we looked at the factors that influence this death wish reaction, three quarters of the respondents said they were lonely. And then there was also a higher prevalence of depression. But of course depression and loneliness go hand in hand.”

However, such feelings are fleeting and can be influenced by social changes, she said.

“As life circumstances change or treatment for depression or loneliness changes, it’s important that people are aware that this death wish is not the end of the world. It can and does change. And there are quite simple ways we can influence it, but of course it has to happen at a societal level and others have to be aware of it, because for the individual themselves it is very difficult to get rid of this feeling without the help of others.”

Another factor contributing to depressive symptoms is that they are more common in the winter months than the summer months. Simple changes can also have a big impact – just having friends and being socially connected and engaged, Prof Kenny added.

“One of the things we found when we looked at the relationships in the study was that people who attend religious services regularly or have more social contacts, make friends and volunteer in the community are much less likely to have a desire to die. And that was also one of the factors that influenced the transition from that state to the state where it was no longer present two years later.”

It was not clear whether it was the spirituality or the social engagement in attending religious services that had the positive influence.

Prof Kenny urged people to prepare for retirement, saying society has evolved within a tribal system where every stage of life has a function. When people are isolated, their cells realise they have no purpose and that is why it is important to stay engaged.

“I would say preparation is an important goal. We may be working, feeling good, etc., but be prepared for retirement. Prepare for the different stages of your life by starting to build activities or a circle of friends, or even joining a choir or getting involved in a charity shop to volunteer.

“People who volunteer actually suffer from much lower levels of depression and loneliness and are physically better off, regardless of other reasons. We’ve also shown that if you don’t volunteer before retirement, you’re much, much less likely to do so after retirement.”