Suicidal Ideation and Associated Factors of the Elderly in Urban Areas

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The study was to examine major factors that affect suicidal ideation of elderly in urban areas. METHODS: The subjects were 302 elders who voluntarily participated in the study. The instruments for this study were scale for suicidal ideation(19 items), family concord (20 items), CED-depression(20 items) and family inventor of life events and changes(FILE, 22 items). Frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, Pearson' correlation coefficient, stepwise multiple regression with SPSS program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The average score of suicidal ideation was 14.88. Suicidal ideation was positively related to depression and stress, but negatively related to family concord. depression, family concord, stress and health status accounted for 86.1% of the variance in suicidal ideation. These results suggest that family concord, depression and stress can be potential risk factors for suicide of elderly. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may give useful information for developing suicidal prevention program on old age.