Chen Cheng-Sheng, Yang Mei-Sang, Yang Ming-Jen, Chang Shun-Jen, Chueh Ke-Hsin, Su Yi-Ching, Yu Ching-Yun, Cheng Tai-Chun
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Oct;23(10):1001-6. doi: 10.1002/gps.2024.
The aims of this study were to investigate prevalence of suicidal thoughts among a population of elderly aboriginal women in Taiwan over a 1-month period and to examine the risk factors for suicidal thinking in terms of individual (self-perceived health, disability and financial difficulty), family (marital discord) and social (medical accessibility) aspects. The mediating effects of depression on the above risk factors were also investigated. Furthermore, we examined the buffer effect on suicidal ideation of emotional social support for dealing with marital discord.
One thousand three hundred and forty-seven elderly Taiwanese aboriginal women were enrolled. Suicide thoughts within the past month, demographic data, adverse life events, emotional social support and depressive state were assessed. The 1-month prevalence of suicide thoughts was calculated. The risks of suicide thought based on individual, family and community aspects were estimated.
The 1-month prevalence of suicidal thoughts among the community-dwelling aboriginal elderly women was 17.8%. Those subjects with poorer self-perceived health, difficulty in accessing medical resources, or experiencing marital discord were at higher risk of having suicidal thoughts. After controlling for depression, the odds ratio of self-perceived health and marital discord remained statistically significant. The odds ratio of interaction of marital discord and emotional social support was 0.41.
Suicidal thoughts are common among the community-dwelling aboriginal elderly women in Taiwan. Risk factors for suicidal thoughts comprise individual (depression and physical condition), family (marital discord) and community (medical resources) aspects. Better emotional social support can effectively buffer the effect of marital discord.
本研究旨在调查台湾原住民老年女性群体在1个月内自杀念头的发生率，并从个人（自我感知健康状况、残疾和经济困难）、家庭（婚姻不和）和社会（医疗可及性）方面检查自杀念头的风险因素。还研究了抑郁对上述风险因素的中介作用。此外，我们考察了情感社会支持对处理婚姻不和时自杀意念的缓冲作用。
招募了1347名台湾原住民老年女性。评估过去1个月内的自杀念头、人口统计学数据、不良生活事件、情感社会支持和抑郁状态。计算自杀念头的1个月发生率。估计基于个人、家庭和社区方面的自杀念头风险。
社区居住的原住民老年女性中自杀念头的1个月发生率为17.8%。那些自我感知健康状况较差、获取医疗资源困难或经历婚姻不和的受试者有更高的自杀念头风险。在控制抑郁因素后，自我感知健康状况和婚姻不和的优势比仍具有统计学意义。婚姻不和与情感社会支持的交互作用优势比为0.41。
自杀念头在台湾社区居住的原住民老年女性中很常见。自杀念头的风险因素包括个人（抑郁和身体状况）、家庭（婚姻不和）和社区（医疗资源）方面。更好的情感社会支持可以有效缓冲婚姻不和的影响。
