Ebulum Genevieve Chimaoge, Eze John E, Ezeihuoma Obinna Paschal, Njoku Crystal, Chukwuorji JohnBosco Chika
Department of Community Medicine, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria.
Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2025 Sep;101(2):225-246. doi: 10.1177/00914150241268006. Epub 2024 Aug 6.
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 (= 500; aged 51-70 years, = 58.97, = 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.
老年人的自杀行为是一个全球性的基本公共卫生问题，低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）的自杀率最高。然而，关于老年人自杀倾向的研究有限，尤其是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区。我们试图了解在撒哈拉以南非洲地区的老年人样本（n = 500；年龄51 - 70岁，x̅ = 58.97，SD = 6.16；45.6%为女性）中，孤独感、压力和宗教信仰是否与自杀意念相关。他们完成了贝克自杀意念量表、加州大学洛杉矶分校孤独量表第三版、感知压力量表和宗教信仰量表。回归结果显示，虽然孤独感和压力可能会增加自杀意念，但有宗教信仰的老年人报告自杀意念的可能性较小。在老年人向成年晚期过渡期间，旨在管理和保护其心理健康的干预措施应防范他们的孤独感，并通过宗教信仰所提供的联系来增强他们的恢复力和应对策略。
