Aging with Honor: Examining Ambivalent Ageism and Interpersonal Risk-Factors for Suicide as Explanations for the Honor-Suicide Link

Abstract

Introduction: Prior research has demonstrated that rates of suicide are greater in more honor-oriented regions of the U.S. (particularly among White men), and that this difference in suicide rates becomes greater as men enter older adulthood. Research into the honor-suicide link has suggested explanatory factors that coincide with the interpersonal theory of suicide, such as untreated depression, heightened risk-taking, and the use of firearms in suicide. Method: The present study exam-ined ambivalent ageism, permissive attitudes toward suicide, and interpersonal risk factors for suicide as explanations for the honor-suicide link among a sample of 201 American men in midlife and above. Results: After controlling for participant age and religiosity, participants with greater endorsement of honor ideology but lower levels of honor fulfillment expressed heightened levels of thwarted belongingness—an established interpersonal risk factor for suicide. Additionally, lower levels of honor fulfillment predicted greater anxiety about aging, greater perceived burdensomeness, and more positive implicit attitudes toward youth. Conversely, greater levels of honor fulfillment also predicted more positive attitudes toward older adults. Discussion: Our results extend previous research on the honor-suicide relationship by demonstrating the utility of integrating the inter-personal theory of suicide with research on cultures of honor.