title: Suicidal ideation and associated factors among community-dwelling elders in Taiwan.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to explore the suicidal ideation of community-dwelling elderly and the factors associated with their intention to commit suicide. Using a multilevel stratified sampling strategy, 1000 elderly subjects were recruited (aged 65-74 years old) in Taiwan during the year 2001. The degree of depression and its correlates were assessed. Suicidal ideation was measured by asking respondents if they had had any suicidal thoughts in the previous week. In all, 16.7% of respondents reported suicidal ideation within the past week; its occurrence was related to sex, religious belief, employment status, marital status, average family monthly income, physical health status, depressive symptoms, and community activity participation. Further multivariate logistic regression revealed that, aside from depressive symptoms and a lower level of education, no community participation in the past 6 months was significantly associated with the appearance of suicidal ideation. The prevalence of suicidal ideation among the elderly in Taiwan is higher than in Western countries. Participation in social activities is negatively associated with elderly suicidal ideation. The dimension of social participation deserves further exploration and should be considered in community mental health promotion interventions for elderly people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Yung-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Ming-Jen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Mei-Sang
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: For-Wey
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Lung
authors.forename: Chun-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Cheng-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Hsin-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology