Okan Ceylan, Bilson Lily, Zhong David, Weidemann Gabrielle, Bailey Phoebe E
School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Aging Ment Health. 2023 Jul-Aug;27(8):1552-1558. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2116402. Epub 2022 Sep 2.
Global suicide rates are highest among older adults, and especially older men, yet proximal predictors of suicidal ideation in older age remain poorly understood. This study tested the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide in older men and women by investigating whether perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and/or their interaction are proximal predictors of suicidal ideation before versus during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The sample ( = 208) included healthy community-dwelling older Australian persons surveyed face-to-face pre-pandemic ( = 102), or online peri-pandemic ( = 106). Depression, social interaction, social satisfaction, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness were assessed as predictors of suicidal ideation.
Perceived burdensomeness was a more proximal predictor of suicidal ideation among older adults than depression or thwarted belongingness. Suicidal ideation and perceived burdensomeness were higher in men than women, but sex did not moderate the influence of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness or social satisfaction on suicidal desire. The interaction between perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness predicted more additional variance in suicidal ideation in the older persons surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to those surveyed before the pandemic.
Suicidal ideation among older persons peri-pandemic is discussed, and recommendations are made for age-specific suicide prevention strategies.
全球自杀率在老年人中最高，尤其是老年男性，但老年期自杀意念的近端预测因素仍知之甚少。本研究通过调查在全球新冠疫情之前和期间，感知负担感、归属感受挫和/或它们的相互作用是否是自杀意念的近端预测因素，对老年男性和女性的自杀人际理论进行了测试。
样本（n = 208）包括在疫情前面对面调查的（n = 102）或在疫情期间在线调查的（n = 106）居住在社区的健康澳大利亚老年人。评估抑郁、社交互动、社交满意度、归属感受挫和感知负担感作为自杀意念预测因素。
在老年人中，感知负担感比抑郁或归属感受挫是自杀意念更直接的预测因素。男性的自杀意念和感知负担感高于女性，但性别并未调节感知负担感、归属感受挫或社交满意度对自杀欲望的影响。与疫情前接受调查的老年人相比，在新冠疫情期间接受调查的老年人中，感知负担感和归属感受挫之间的相互作用在自杀意念中预测了更多额外的方差。
讨论了疫情期间老年人的自杀意念，并针对特定年龄的自杀预防策略提出了建议。
