frequency of suicidal ideations in the elderly living in Golestan province in 2022: A descriptive study

Compared to other age groups, the elderly are more at risk of suicide. The process of suicide includes thinking, planning for action and finally completing suicide. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the frequency of suicidal ideations  in the elderly.

This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted in Golestan province in 2022. The target population is the elderly residents of Golestan province who referred to health and treatment centers and met the criteria for inclusion in the study. A total of 419 elderly people were selected by available sampling method. The data was collected using Beck's suicidal ideation scale (1997), which had 19 questions, and was analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics tests (Chi-Square, Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher).

In terms of suicidal ideations , 93.6% of the elderly are low-risk, 4.3% are considered to be of moderate risk, and 1.2% of the elderly are high-risk. Also, there was no significant difference between s suicidal ideations  and gender, income and average age of the elderly. However, there is a significant relationship between suicidal ideations , ethnicity, marital status, level of education and underlying disease.

The results of this study showed that the frequency of suicidal ideations in the dimensions of preparation for suicide and attempted suicide in the elderly of Golestan province is lower than the national average. Proper management of psychiatric, neurological and medical conditions of the elderly can probably reduce the risk of suicide in this age group. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt the necessary strategies to identify and eliminate suicide risk factors by focusing on specific groups.