The prediction of suicidal ideation based on coping strategies and meaning in life in the elderly

Suicide is one of the major challenges of the elderly period that needs to be recognized in order to provide preventive and therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this study was to predict suicidal ideation based on coping strategies and meaning in life in the elderly.

The research method was descriptive-analytical. The statistical population included all elderly men and women, 60 years and older in Tehran that 207 of them were selected by non-randomly sampling method. Suicide ideation, coping strategies, and life Meaning in life Questionnaires were used for data collection. Research data were also analyzed in SPSS software-version 24, using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis.

There was a significant negative and positive relationship between problem-oriented and emotion-focused strategies with suicidal ideation (P<0.05), and a significant negative relationship between meaning in life and its two subscales (framework and satisfaction) with suicidal ideation (P<0.01). Also, two subscales of meaning in life, including satisfaction and framework, with standard beta coefficients of -0.76 and -0.32, respectively, were more predictive of suicidal ideation in elderly than problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies.

Understanding the factors associated with suicide in the elderly such as problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies and meaningful life and trying to educate strategies to improve them can reduce some of the suicide rate in this period.