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Suicidal thought and self-transcendence in older adults
D Buchanan1, C Farran, D Clark
1Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Older adults have the highest suicide rates. Assessing what is meaningful to them may help identify suicide risk in this population.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Adults over 65 exhibit the highest suicide rates, with projections indicating an increase.
- Identifying population-specific risk factors is crucial for addressing clinical concerns like suicide.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine self-transcendence as a factor potentially specific to older adults' adaptation to life changes.
- To explore the relationship between self-transcendence and suicide risk in older adults.
Main Methods:
- The study focused on assessing self-transcendence in older adults.
- Key questions used to gauge self-transcendence were: 'Who is most meaningful (important) to you now?' and 'What is most meaningful (important) to you now?'
Main Results:
- Inability to answer questions about personal meaning may indicate a need for suicide risk assessment in older adults.
Conclusions:
- Self-transcendence, assessed through questions of personal meaning, may serve as an indicator for suicide risk assessment in the elderly population.
- Further research is warranted to validate self-transcendence as a specific protective or risk factor for suicide in older adults.