The protective role of Wisdom in Suicidal behavior: evidence from Indian adults

Current understanding of suicidal behavior remains largely medicalized, with existential factors underexplored despite their relevance. Growing evidence highlights wisdom's role in addressing existential concerns and enhancing well-being. We examined how existential thinking, existential anxiety, and wisdom relate to suicidal behavior among Indian adults.

This cross-sectional study included a total of 507 participants aged between 20 and 92 years. Participants completed standardized measures assessing suicidality, existential concerns (including existential thinking and existential anxiety), and wisdom. Two separate mediation analyses were conducted to examine the role of wisdom as a potential mediator in the relationships between (1) existential thinking and suicidal behavior, and (2) existential anxiety and suicidal behavior.

Parallel mediation analyses (controlling for age) revealed: (1) age negatively associated with suicidality and existential anxiety but positively with wisdom; (2) existential thinking positively associated to wisdom, while existential anxiety negatively associated with it; (3) wisdom was associated to lower suicidality, fully mediating existential thinking's negative association and partially mediating existential anxiety's positive association with suicidality.

The protective role of wisdom against suicidal behavior points to possible directions for support and intervention, highlighting the necessity of psychological and philosophical approaches that increase people's wisdom as a defense against suicidal thoughts and existential distress.