Suicidal ideation and its related factors among older adults: a population-based study in Southwestern Iran

Prevalence of suicidal ideation and its associated factors among the geriatric population in Vyas Municipality, Tanahun District, Nepal: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation among the geriatric population is a pressing concern, particularly in regions such as Nepal where mental health resources are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and its associated factors among the geriatric population in Vyas Municipality, Nepal.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals aged 60 years and above in Vyas Municipality, Nepal. A total of 311 participants were selected using multistage sampling. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured interview schedule. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent variables associated with suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of suicidal ideation within the last twelve months among the geriatric population was 6.4% (n = 20). After adjustment for covariates in multivariate logistic regression analysis, living in a nuclear family (OR: 3.033, C.I. 95%:1.007-9.136), and experiencing depressive symptoms [(Mild depression:- OR: 5.358, C.I. 95%:1.548-18.539), (Moderate depression:- OR: 15.739, C.I. 95%:2.536-97.687), and (Severe depression:- OR: 17.423, C.I. 95%:2.218-136.878)] were found to be significant influencing factors for suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSION

This study emphasizes the need to enhance mental health services and strengthen family and community support systems to address suicidal ideation among older adults in Nepal. Further research is required to identify additional determinants and evaluate interventions to mitigate this risk.

Roles of Loneliness, Stress, and Religiosity in Suicide Ideation Among Nigerian Older Adults

Suicidal behavior in older adults is a fundamental public health problem globally and the highest suicide rates occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited research on suicidality among older adults, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to find out whether loneliness, stress and religiosity would be associated with suicide ideation in a sample of sub-Saharan African older adults (N = 500; aged 51-70 years, Mage = 58.97, SD = 6.16; 45.6% women). They completed the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale-version 3, Perceived Stress Scale, and Religiosity Scale. Regression results showed that whereas suicidal ideation could be increased by loneliness and stress, religious older adults were less likely to report suicidal ideation. Interventions aimed at managing and protecting the mental health of older adults during their transition to late adulthood should guard them against loneliness and buffer their resilience and coping strategies with the connectedness that religiosity offers.

Sex-specific compensatory model of suicidal ideation: a population-based study (Urban HEART-2)

INTRODUCTION

Suicidal ideations (SI), also known as suicidal thoughts, refer to impulses, desires, and obsessions related to death. Prevalence of suicidal ideation was 14 percent. The current study assumed that identifying the true predictors of SI would allow for a greater understanding of suicide risk.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional population-based study, 17,644 residents aged from 15 to 90 years were selected through a multi-stage sampling method from 22 districts of Tehran. Using hypothesized causal models, the pathways through which various variables influenced the components of SI were identified. Also, the applicability of the compensatory and risk-protective models of resiliency for the prediction of SI was tested by using the interaction multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS

SI was experienced by 13.44% of the study population. SI was more prevalent with individuals between the ages of 15 to 24. There are no differences between men and women when covariate analysis is used. The significant predictions by anxiety and physical activity (moderate) indicate support for the compensatory model for male and female, while the significant prediction by those indicates support for the risk-protective model for females.

CONCLUSION

PA would both lessen the detrimental impact of anxiety on suicidal thoughts and potentially reduce the probability of SI. It's important to develop and evaluate PA-enhancing treatments, especially for woman who are experiencing anxiety.

Motivations for suicide attempts and risk factors among youths in Western Iran: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

Suicide attempts are a fundamental problem in health care systems and are known for their complex and multifaceted nature. This study aimed to explore the reasons for suicide attempts and to identify associated factors in western Iran.

Methods

In Asadabad, western Iran, a cross-sectional study was carried out between April 2020 and March 2021. A nonrandom sampling method was used to select 110 participants, ages 15-35. Structured questionnaires such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the Suicide Motivation Scale (IMSA) were used to gather the data. Multiple linear regression, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and independent t tests were all used in the data analysis.

Results

The majority of participants (59.1%) were female, with a mean age of 25.78 years. The most common reason for suicide attempts (43.6%) was family issues, and the most popular means (66.4%) were pills and medication. Eighty-nine percent of participants had symptoms of depression. The mean scores were calculated for motivation for suicide attempts (32.46 ± 16.11), depression (34.60 ± 20.50), and anxiety (34.14 ± 15.69). The analysis showed that the motivation for suicide attempts and anxiety was greater in single persons than in married and divorced persons (p < 0.05). Motivation for suicide attempts was also greater in low- to middle-income individuals with a history of divorce (p < 0.05). The multiple regression model showed that anxiety, sex, education, and medical history significantly influenced the motivation for suicide attempts (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The results showed that a wide range of social, economic, and cultural factors and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression, are involved in suicide attempts. This study aimed to design interventions and strategies to prioritize mental health, improve life skills to control stressful events, and focus on high-risk groups (women, married people, people with low education levels, and those with a history of physical and mental illnesses) for suicide prevention in health promotion programs.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Older Adults With Suicide-Related Emergency Department Presentations

OBJECTIVES

To identify characteristics of older adult emergency department (ED) patients aged ≥65 with suicidal ideation and/or behavior.

METHODS

A single center retrospective chart review analyzed 392 patients (≥65) with suicidal ideation and/or behavior (2013-2019). Comprehensive full-text searches were used. Subgroup analyses for age and gender were conducted.

RESULTS

Depressive disorder was documented in 50% of cases. Notably, 54% of all women were prescribed antidepressants, compared to only 31% of men. Most patients had general medical conditions (74.5%) and chronic multimorbidity (71.2%). Social stress affected 40.1%; 35.7% were intoxicated upon presentation. Alcohol abuse was more common in the 65-74 age group, while dementia impacted 20% of those ≥75. Men had a six-fold higher 30-day post-discharge mortality.

DISCUSSION

Older ED patients with suicidal ideation and/or behavior exhibit typical characteristics. The dementia prevalence suggests tailored care for those ≥75, and the heightened post-discharge mortality rate in older men requires further research.

A systematic review of psychosocial protective factors against suicide and suicidality among older adults

BACKGROUND

Research on suicide rarely focuses on protective factors. The goal of this systematic review was to assess the evidence of the associations between protective factors and reduced suicidality among older adults.

METHOD

First, a scoping review was conducted to identify pertinent terms that refer to various protective factors against suicidality. A systematic review, following the PRISMA guidelines, was then conducted on a selection of 15 protective factors (e.g., perceived control, well-being and quality of life, life satisfaction, purpose-in-life, resilience, coping, religiosity, hope, self-regulation, sense of belonging, mattering, positive relationship, social support, social connectedness, and social participation), with separate searches performed on each factor in five databases. Empirical studies were eligible if participants were adults aged 60 years and over, and if the studies reported predictive statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 70 studies were retained for the review. Suicidal ideation was the main outcome measure (91%). Significant associations were consistently observed between all protective factors and reduced suicidal ideations or behaviors, particularly for purpose-in-life, resilience, and positive relationships, indicating that these are solid components for suicide prevention. Using scales, instead of a single item, to measure protective factors (e.g. life satisfaction) was more efficient to capture the associations. On the other hand, results were similar whether studies used subjective (e.g., sense of belonging) or objective (e.g., social connectedness) measures.

CONCLUSION

Protective factors were inversely associated with suicidal ideation. Improving protective factors is essential for the development of late-life suicide prevention and interventions, instead of merely focusing on risk factors.

Network analysis of depression, cognitive functions, and suicidal ideation in patients with diabetes: an epidemiological study in Iran

AIMS

The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and previous suicide attempts among Iranian patients diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes (T1D) and Type-2 diabetes (T2D). Additionally, the study sought to estimate the network structure of depressive symptoms and cognitive functions.

METHODS

1073 patients participated in the current study. We used Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Ask Suicide-Screening Questionnaire, diabetes-related factors, and a battery of cognitive functions tasks to estimate network structures. Also, suicidal ideations and suicide attempts prevalence have been estimated. Statistical analyses were performed using R-studio software, including mixed-graphical models (MGMs) for undirected effects and Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) for directed effects.

RESULTS

The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 29.97% in T1D and 26.81% in T2D (p < 0.05). The history of suicide attempts was higher in T1D (10.78%) compared to T2D (8.36%) (p < 0.01). In the MRF networks for T1D, suicidal ideation was directly linked to 'feeling guilt (PHQ.6)', 'Suicide (PHQ.9)', HbA1c, and FBS, while the Inhibition node was directly related to suicidal ideation. The DAGs suggested connections between 'depression', HbA1c, and 'inhibition' with suicidal ideation, along with a link between the current family history of suicide attempts and the patient's history of suicide attempts. For T2D, the MRF networks indicated direct links between suicidal ideation and 'anhedonia (PHQ.1)', 'suicide (PHQ.9)', age, being female, and BMI, with inhibition also being directly related to suicidal ideation. The DAGs revealed connections between 'depression', age, and 'inhibition' with suicidal ideation, as well as links between being female or single/divorced and the patient's history of suicide attempts.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that suicide ideation is highly prevalent in patients with diabetes, and these symptoms should be carefully monitored in these patients.

Complicated grief and its relationship with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in older adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Complicated grief (CG) resulting from poor adaptation to the death of a close person may have been related with the presence of other mental health problems in older adults in Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed to assess the association between CG and anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in older adults in Peru in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the "Socioemotional evaluation form" applied in 2020 to mental health problems in older adults attending the Peruvian Social Security (EsSalud). For our study, we included older adults who reported the death of a close person during the last six months when this assessment was performed. CG, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were initially evaluated using validated questionnaires. The association between CG and the presence of mental health problems was calculated through multivariate analysis, where prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Of the 249 older adults included, 175 (70.3%) were female with a median age of 71 years (interquartile range: 9), and 35 (14.1%) reported the presence of CG. It was found that CG in this population was associated with the presence of anxiety (PR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.85), depression (PR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.95), and suicidal ideation (PR: 2.84, 95% CI: 1.06 to 7.59).

CONCLUSIONS

CG is related to the presence of mental health problems in older adults in Peru. It is essential to implement measures that facilitate the prevention and proper management of this condition in this population, especially in the context of high population mortality such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation Following the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerman Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation (SI) serves as an important predictor of suicide. The prevalence of SI has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with SI after the pandemic in the Kerman province.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 23 counties of the Kerman province between 2021 and 2022. The Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI) was utilized to estimate SI, while multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the impact of various variables on SI.

RESULTS

A total of 1421 individuals (47.7% men, 50.0% women and 2.3% unknown) with an average age of 35.17±9.47 years participated in this study. The estimated prevalence rate of SI was 9.2%, with variations ranging from 0% to 42% across different counties. Individuals with SI exhibited a significantly younger mean age and fewer family members. Furthermore, SI was significantly more prevalent among single participants, unemployed individuals, students, those with a history of mental illness, prior psychiatric medication use, and previous SI. Employed individuals had 87% lower odds of experiencing SI compared to the unemployed. Individuals with a history of prior SI had 239 times higher odds of SI than those without such a history. Additionally, each year increase in age corresponded to an 8.8% decrease in the odds of SI.

CONCLUSION

The high prevalence of SI is concerning, and it is essential to remain vigilant regarding its health and social consequences as the pandemic continues. Therefore, it is imperative to provide enhanced mental health services, particularly targeting at-risk groups.

Prevalence of suicidal ideation and correlated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 113 studies from 31 countries

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and correlated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed were searched according to a pre-set strategy. A total of 132 studies were identified, 104 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was approximately 14.7% (95%CI: 12.5%, 16.8%, P < 0.01) in the general population, approximately 22.4% (95%CI: 17.1%, 27.8%, P < 0.01）in adolescents, approximately 21.0% (95%CI: 12.8%, 29.2%, P < 0.01) in psychiatric patients, approximately 20.6% (95%CI: 18.7%, 22.5%, P < 0.01）in university students, approximately 18.9% (95%CI: 8.3%, 29.5%, P < 0.01) in younger adults, approximately 10.6% (95%CI: 1.0%, 20.2%, P = 0.031) in COVID-19 patients and approximately 7.4% (95%CI: 4.3%, 10.5%, P < 0.01) in healthcare workers. The prevalence in North America was approximately 16.0% (95%CI: 13.6%-18.4%, P < 0.001), approximately 14.5% in Asia (95%CI: 9.5%-19.4%, P < 0.001), approximately 10.5% in Europe (95%CI: 8.5%-12.4%, P < 0.001), and approximately 20.5% in South America (95%CI: 19.5%-21.5%, P < 0.001). The following were risk factors which might be correlated with suicidal ideation: severe anxiety symptoms, mild to moderate depression, a strong feeling of loneliness/social isolation, poor sleep quality, having COVID-19-related experience, having quarantine or lockdown experience, being female, being single or divorced, having financial problems and having a history of suicidal ideation/attempt. This article reports the prevalence of suicidal ideation and discussing potential risk factors during the pandemic among general population and vulnerable groups. Early detection and follow-up were necessary for the noteworthy population.

Factors Related to Suicidal Ideation and Prediction of High-Risk Groups among Youngest-Old Adults in South Korea

(1) Background: The suicide of older adults shows different factors between the youngest-old adults and the old-old adults. This study aimed to identify factors predicting suicidal ideation among youngest-old adults (ages 65 to 74 years) and predict high-risk groups’ characteristics. (2) Methods: The subjects of this study were 970 youngest-old adults who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VIII Year 1, 2019). Logistic regression analysis identified factors related to suicidal ideation, and decision tree analysis identified combined characteristics among high-risk groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. (3) Results: Suicidal ideation became more common among those with relatively lower income levels (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.04−2.12), those whom had experienced depression (OR = 9.28, 95% CI = 4.57−18.84), those with relatively higher stress levels (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.11−5.28), and those reporting a relatively worse perceived health (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.23−3.11). Complex characteristics that combined depression, low personal income level, and low perceived health predicted a high risk of suicidal ideation (64.6%, p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: The findings indicate that this high-risk group should be prioritized when developing suicide prevention strategies.