(Wall Street Journal) – The strain of caregiving likely plays a role in murder-suicides among older adults, say researchers

Donna Cohen, a retired psychiatry professor behind the research, found that a husband was acting as his wife’s caregiver in about half of spousal murder-suicides among those over 55. The burden of physical illness, increasing cost of care, isolation and sense of hopelessness play roles, says Cohen. About 20% of murder-suicide cases involving older couples are what she calls “symbiotic,” where both were known to have expressed a desire to die, but there is no clear evidence of a pact.

“These are not acts of love or altruism. They are acts of depression and desperation,” says Cohen. Primary-care physicians, family and friends often don’t recognize signs that someone is depressed, she says. (Read More)