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Published on: January 24, 2020
Psychological Factors Protecting Against Suicidality in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
Hannah Maynard1, James D Gregory1, Andrea Davies2
1School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Older adults have high suicide rates, but psychological factors like purpose in life and wellbeing can protect against suicidality. Understanding these protective elements is key for interventions in older populations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Older adults exhibit the highest suicide rates globally, yet protective psychological factors remain underexplored.
- Limited understanding of protective mechanisms hinders effective suicide prevention strategies in this demographic.
Approach:
- Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines, searching major databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus).
- Seventeen papers were included and synthesized using the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies (QuADSs) tool.
- Protocol registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022343694) for transparency.
Key Points:
- Identified protective factors include meaning in life, reasons for living, coping styles, psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, personality, cognitive function, and social belonging.
- Meaning in life, psychological wellbeing, and effective coping strategies demonstrated the strongest empirical support.
- Influence of factors like meaning in life may vary by gender and life stage within older adulthood.
Conclusions:
- Psychological factors such as purpose, wellbeing, and coping are potential targets for reducing suicide in older adults.
- Future research should employ longitudinal and comparative designs, assess the full suicidality spectrum, and include diverse age groups.
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