Description of suicide ideation among older adults and a psychological profile: a cross-sectional study in Turkey

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the suicidal ideation and the possible causes for suicidal behaviour in the elderly. Subjects were 150 patients aged 65 and older who were evaluated using the sociodemographic data collection forms, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS), Reasons for Living Inventory (RLI), and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). Of 150 patients, 72.7% were women and 27.3% were men, ages ranged from 65 to 88 years. Suicidal ideation was noted in 30.7% of patients. When the mean of BHS total score between patients with and without suicidal ideation and the mean of BHS subscale’s feelings and expectations regarding the future and loss of motivation and hope in terms of subscales were evaluated between the groups with and without suicidal ideation, the scores had a significant difference. When RLI was evaluated in terms of total scores, the suicidal ideation mean score was 243.74 ± 32.28, while the non-suicidal ideation mean score was 267.27 ± 24.36. There was a significant relationship between the two groups. We found low level of education, low level of reasons for living and higher psychiatric morbidity (generalized anxiety disorder and comorbid depressive disorder) in with suicidal ideation in the elderly.