January 7, 2026

@michaelokun

Does anxiety track w/ suicide risk in Parkinson’s?Anxiety refers to persistent worry, fear or tension that goes beyond normal stress and can affect thinking, behavior and body responses. Lam and colleagues describe in a new paper in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease how anxiety relates to suicidality in the setting of Parkinson’s. Key Points: - Suicide risk was identified in about one in five folks living w/ Parkinson’s, despite no prior documentation in routine care. -Higher anxiety scores were independently linked to increased suicide risk, even after accounting for depression. - A single depression question frequently missed individuals who were at risk, highlighting the limits of brief screening. My take: This work is a reminder that anxiety in Parkinson’s should never be treated as 'a side issue.' Anxiety is a core driver of suffering and can introduce important risk that we 'too frequently overlook.' If we only screen for depression, we will miss too many folks who are quietly struggling, and who may have begun to think about suicide. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Anxiety matters and it matters independently from depression. 2- Suicide risk can be present even when motor symptoms and disease duration look typical. 3- Brief one item screens frequently underestimate risk in Parkinson’s. 4- Medications used for anxiety deserve careful review and follow up. 5-Routine proactive conversations by health care providers can surface risk before a crisis develops. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1877718X251410887 #parkinson #michaelokun #fixelinstitute