{"formatVersion":"1.1","id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death","path":"/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death","title":"Thinking About Death in Later Life","family":"Library detail","description":"Misconceptions about older people's thoughts on death debunked. Study shows constant thoughts of death not normal, passive suicidal ideation uncommon.","language":"en-US","access":{"audience":"public","indexable":true},"provenance":{"sourceUrl":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death","wordpressId":"5118","contentCompleteness":"complete","dateScope":"original-source"},"authors":[{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/carrie-steckl#person","name":"Carrie Steckl, Ph.D.","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/carrie-steckl"}],"dates":{"datePublished":"2014-05-16T04:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-11-28T11:01:41Z"},"content":{"html":"<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\"><ol><li><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/\">Home</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library\">Library</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/lifespan-development\">Lifespan Development</a></li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Thinking About Death in Later Life</span></li></ol></nav><div class=\"article-page article-standard\" data-library-standard=\"\"><div class=\"article-main-grid\"><header class=\"article-heading\"><h1>Thinking About Death in Later Life</h1><p class=\"article-inline-credits\">Written by <a class=\"article-credit-person\" href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/carrie-steckl\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"22\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/4343dfa2dec7e9f187121260.jpg\" width=\"22\" decoding=\"async\">Carrie Steckl, Ph.D.</a></p><div class=\"article-dates\"><span>Published on <time datetime=\"2014-05-16T04:00:00Z\">May 16, 2014</time></span><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> · </span><span>Updated on <time datetime=\"2025-11-28T11:01:41Z\">November 28, 2025</time></span></div></header><div class=\"article-jumpbar\"></div><div class=\"article-layout\"><div class=\"article-reading\"><article class=\"prose\" id=\"article-content\"><p>In honor of Older Americans Month, I’ve made it my mission to provide some helpful information about staying well in our later years as well as to dispel some stereotypes about older people.</p><figure class=\"article-feature\"><img alt=\"A healthcare professional gently supports an older adult's hands.\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"675\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/43578f951fc39ce047adb586.webp\" width=\"1200\"></figure><section aria-labelledby=\"key-takeaways\" class=\"article-takeaways\"><h2 id=\"key-takeaways\">Key takeaways</h2><ul><li>Wishing for death should not be dismissed as a normal feature of older age.</li><li>In the study discussed, older adults who reported passive suicidal thoughts also reported active suicidal thoughts.</li><li>Even passive suicidal thinking in an older person warrants serious attention rather than assumptions based on age.</li></ul></section><h2 id=\"overview\">Assumptions about aging and death</h2><p>Have you ever made assumptions about older people’s thoughts and feelings? I’m sure we all have. For instance, many people associate the word “curmudgeonly” (grumpy, stubborn) with older people, especially older men. Sure, we can all think of <em>someone</em> we know who is older and curmudgeonly. But is every older person we know this way? Nope.</p><p>Another assumption is that all older people develop Alzheimer’s disease or another kind of <a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/dementia\" class=\"article-inline-link\" data-context-link=\"355\">dementia</a> if they live long enough. This couldn’t be further from the truth! But that’s a topic for another blog post. The assumption I want to talk about today has to do with whether older people think incessantly about death.</p><p>I can think of several occasions when someone has said, “They’re old! They’re probably thinking about when the Lord will take them and hoping it’s sooner rather than later. That’s normal.”</p><h2 id=\"research-on-thoughts-of-death-in-older-adults\">Research on thoughts of death in older adults</h2><p>Hmmm. Really? It’s normal for older people to wish to die? Let’s see about that. In a study recently published in <em>The Gerontologist</em>, researchers conducted in-home interviews with 377 older people (60 years of age and older) who were clients of an aging care services agency. </p><p>Several measures were administered that assessed passive suicidal ideation (thinking about death without a clear plan to harm oneself), active suicidal ideation (actively thinking about killing oneself), <a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/depression\" class=\"article-inline-link\" data-context-link=\"355\">depression</a>, and anxiety.</p><p>Analysis of the results revealed four categories of clients: (a) a group with mild distress (depression and/or anxiety) and no passive or active suicidal ideation, (b) a group with high distress and no passive or active suicidal ideation, (c) a group with mild distress and both passive and active suicidal ideation, and (d) a group with high distress and both passive and active suicidal ideation.</p><p>Do you notice anything interesting here? None of the older adults showed only passive suicidal ideation. Any participants who showed passive ideation also showed active suicidal ideation. Otherwise, they showed no ideation at all. </p><p>In fact, the authors summarize that passive ideation, or “the desire for death and the belief that life is not worth living do not appear to be normative in later life.” Seeking mental clarity? Take our comprehensive overthinking test and uncover your thinking patterns.</p><h2 id=\"taking-distress-seriously\">Taking distress seriously</h2><p>There are two take-aways from this study. First, we shouldn’t assume that older people naturally think about death and dying. Second, if we know an older person who does show even passive suicidal ideation, we should take this seriously because there’s a good chance that active ideation may be there too.</p><p><em><strong>Source:</strong></em></p><p>\nVan Orden, K. A., O’Riley, A. A., Simning, A., Podgorski, C., Richardson, T. M., &amp; Conwell, Y. (2014). Passive suicide ideation: An indicator of risk among older adults seeking aging services? <em>The Gerontologist, Advance Access.</em> doi: 10.1093/geront/gnu026\n</p><section aria-label=\"Subject matter expert\" class=\"article-expert article-expert-inline\" data-expert-kind=\"related\" data-expert-layout=\"standard\"><p class=\"article-bio-role\">Subject matter expert</p><div class=\"article-expert-identity\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"64\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/f740e834778e6cf83ef499f0.jpg\" width=\"64\" decoding=\"async\"><h2><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/natalie-staats-reiss\">Natalie Staats Reiss <span class=\"expert-credentials\">Ph.D.</span></a></h2></div><p class=\"article-expert-focus\">Older adults and caregivers</p><a class=\"profile-experience-link experience-button\" href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/natalie-staats-reiss\">View experience</a></section></article><div class=\"article-endmatter\"><section class=\"article-about article-panel\"><h2 id=\"about-mentalhealth-com\">About MentalHealth.com</h2><p>MentalHealth.com helps people understand themselves, build healthier relationships, and access the right care. We bring together mental health education, diagnostics, and care management to support well-being throughout every phase of life.</p><div class=\"article-contributors\"><section class=\"article-bio\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"64\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/4343dfa2dec7e9f187121260.jpg\" width=\"64\" decoding=\"async\"><div><p class=\"article-bio-role\">Author</p><h3 id=\"carrie-steckl-ph-d\"><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/carrie-steckl\">Carrie Steckl, Ph.D.</a></h3><p class=\"article-bio-credentials\">Ph.D.</p><p>Carrie Steckl, Ph.D. is a writer with experience as a non-profit professional, college instructor, mental health clinician, and Alzheimer's advocate.</p><dl><div><dt>Published</dt><dd><time datetime=\"2014-05-16T04:00:00Z\">May 16, 2014</time></dd></div><div><dt>Updated</dt><dd><time datetime=\"2025-11-28T11:01:41Z\">November 28, 2025</time></dd></div></dl></div></section></div></section><section aria-label=\"Related community\" class=\"article-topic-community article-topic-community-end\"><img alt=\"\" class=\"topic-community-banner\" height=\"633\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/e99d1a7ce4bf6109521f8289.webp\" width=\"1200\" decoding=\"async\"><p class=\"topic-community-label\">Related community</p><h2>Crisis Intervention</h2><p>Find information and perspectives about mental health crises and the people who provide support.</p><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/community/crisis-intervention\">Explore community</a></section></div></div><aside aria-label=\"Article navigation and related information\" class=\"article-sidebar\" data-bounded-rail=\"\" tabindex=\"0\"><details class=\"article-contents\" data-expanded=\"false\" data-scrolled-past=\"false\" data-section-preview=\"3\" open=\"\"><summary><strong>Table of contents</strong><span aria-hidden=\"true\"></span><small data-current-section=\"\">Choose a section</small></summary><nav aria-label=\"Article contents\"><ol id=\"article-section-list\"><li><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death#overview\" aria-label=\"Assumptions about aging and death\" title=\"Assumptions about aging and death\">Assumptions about aging and death</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death#research-on-thoughts-of-death-in-older-adults\" aria-label=\"Research on thoughts of death in older adults\" title=\"Research on thoughts of death in older adults\">Research on thoughts of death in older adults</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death#taking-distress-seriously\" aria-label=\"Taking distress seriously\" title=\"Taking distress seriously\">Taking distress seriously</a></li></ol><button aria-controls=\"article-section-list\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"article-sections-toggle\" data-sections-toggle=\"\" hidden=\"\" type=\"button\">View more</button></nav></details></aside></div></div></div>","text":"Home Library Lifespan Development Thinking About Death in Later Life Thinking About Death in Later Life Written by Carrie Steckl, Ph.D. Published on May 16, 2014 · Updated on November 28, 2025 In honor of Older Americans Month, I’ve made it my mission to provide some helpful information about staying well in our later years as well as to dispel some stereotypes about older people. Key takeaways Wishing for death should not be dismissed as a normal feature of older age. In the study discussed, older adults who reported passive suicidal thoughts also reported active suicidal thoughts. Even passive suicidal thinking in an older person warrants serious attention rather than assumptions based on age. Assumptions about aging and death Have you ever made assumptions about older people’s thoughts and feelings? I’m sure we all have. For instance, many people associate the word “curmudgeonly” (grumpy, stubborn) with older people, especially older men. Sure, we can all think of someone we know who is older and curmudgeonly. But is every older person we know this way? Nope. Another assumption is that all older people develop Alzheimer’s disease or another kind of dementia if they live long enough. This couldn’t be further from the truth! But that’s a topic for another blog post. The assumption I want to talk about today has to do with whether older people think incessantly about death. I can think of several occasions when someone has said, “They’re old! They’re probably thinking about when the Lord will take them and hoping it’s sooner rather than later. That’s normal.” Research on thoughts of death in older adults Hmmm. Really? It’s normal for older people to wish to die? Let’s see about that. In a study recently published in The Gerontologist, researchers conducted in-home interviews with 377 older people (60 years of age and older) who were clients of an aging care services agency. Several measures were administered that assessed passive suicidal ideation (thinking about death without a clear plan to harm oneself), active suicidal ideation (actively thinking about killing oneself), depression, and anxiety. Analysis of the results revealed four categories of clients: (a) a group with mild distress (depression and/or anxiety) and no passive or active suicidal ideation, (b) a group with high distress and no passive or active suicidal ideation, (c) a group with mild distress and both passive and active suicidal ideation, and (d) a group with high distress and both passive and active suicidal ideation. Do you notice anything interesting here? None of the older adults showed only passive suicidal ideation. Any participants who showed passive ideation also showed active suicidal ideation. Otherwise, they showed no ideation at all. In fact, the authors summarize that passive ideation, or “the desire for death and the belief that life is not worth living do not appear to be normative in later life.” Seeking mental clarity? Take our comprehensive overthinking test and uncover your thinking patterns. Taking distress seriously There are two take-aways from this study. First, we shouldn’t assume that older people naturally think about death and dying. Second, if we know an older person who does show even passive suicidal ideation, we should take this seriously because there’s a good chance that active ideation may be there too. Source: Van Orden, K. A., O’Riley, A. A., Simning, A., Podgorski, C., Richardson, T. M., & Conwell, Y. (2014). Passive suicide ideation: An indicator of risk among older adults seeking aging services? The Gerontologist, Advance Access. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnu026 Subject matter expert Natalie Staats Reiss Ph.D. Older adults and caregivers View experience About MentalHealth.com MentalHealth.com helps people understand themselves, build healthier relationships, and access the right care. We bring together mental health education, diagnostics, and care management to support well-being throughout every phase of life. Author Carrie Steckl, Ph.D. Ph.D. Carrie Steckl, Ph.D. is a writer with experience as a non-profit professional, college instructor, mental health clinician, and Alzheimer's advocate. Published May 16, 2014 Updated November 28, 2025 Related community Crisis Intervention Find information and perspectives about mental health crises and the people who provide support. Explore community Table of contentsChoose a section Assumptions about aging and death Research on thoughts of death in older adults Taking distress seriously View more","wordCount":701},"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/#organization","name":"MentalHealth.com","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/","publishingPrinciples":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/publishing/editorial-policy"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/#website","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/","name":"MentalHealth.com","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/#organization"}},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Library","item":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Lifespan Development","item":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/lifespan-development"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Thinking About Death in Later Life","item":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death"}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death#primaryimage","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/43578f951fc39ce047adb586.webp","contentUrl":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/43578f951fc39ce047adb586.webp","width":1200,"height":675,"encodingFormat":"image/webp","caption":"A healthcare professional gently supports an older adult's hands."},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/carrie-steckl#person","name":"Carrie Steckl, Ph.D.","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/people/carrie-steckl","jobTitle":"Ph.D.","image":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/assets/optimized/4343dfa2dec7e9f187121260.jpg","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriesteckl/"]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death#article","url":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/is-it-normal-for-older-adults-to-think-about-death","headline":"Thinking About Death in Later Life","description":"Misconceptions about older people's thoughts on death debunked. 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