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Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study

BACKGROUND: Suicide rate among rural elderly is the highest among all age groups in China, yet little is known about the suicide risks in this rapidly growing vulnerable population. METHODS: This matched case–control psychological autopsy study was conducted during June 2014 to September 2015. Conse...

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Autores principales: Zhou, Liang, Wang, Guojun, Jia, Cunxian, Ma, Zhenyu
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Cambridge University Press 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6331683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29692283
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S003329171800106X
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author Zhou, Liang
Wang, Guojun
Jia, Cunxian
Ma, Zhenyu
author_facet Zhou, Liang
Wang, Guojun
Jia, Cunxian
Ma, Zhenyu
author_sort Zhou, Liang
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Suicide rate among rural elderly is the highest among all age groups in China, yet little is known about the suicide risks in this rapidly growing vulnerable population. METHODS: This matched case–control psychological autopsy study was conducted during June 2014 to September 2015. Consecutive samples of suicides aged 60 or above were identified in three provinces (Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi) in China. Living comparisons were 1:1 matched with the suicides in age (±3 years old), gender, and living location. Risk factors included demographic characteristics, being left-behind, mental disorder, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and social support. RESULTS: A total of 242 suicides and 242 comparisons were enrolled: 135 (55.8%) were male, mean (s.d.) age was 74 (8) years. The most frequently used suicide means were pesticides (125, 51.7%) and hanging (95, 39.3%). Independent risks of suicide included unstable marital status [odds ratio (OR) 4.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.61–10.92], unemployed (compared with employed, OR 4.43, 95% CI 1.09–17.95), depressive symptoms (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.21–1.48), and mental disorder (OR 6.28, 95% CI 1.75–22.54). Structural equation model indicated that the association between being left-behind and suicide was mediated by mental disorder, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and social support. CONCLUSIONS: Unstable marital status, unemployed, depressive symptoms, and mental disorder are independent risk factors for suicide in rural elderly. Being left-behind can elevate the suicide risk through increasing life stresses, depressive symptoms, mental disorder, and decreasing social support. Elderly suicide may be prevented by restricting pesticides, training rural physicians, treating mental disorders, mitigating life stress, and enhancing social connection.
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spelling pubmed-63316832019-01-23 Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study Zhou, Liang Wang, Guojun Jia, Cunxian Ma, Zhenyu Psychol Med Original Articles BACKGROUND: Suicide rate among rural elderly is the highest among all age groups in China, yet little is known about the suicide risks in this rapidly growing vulnerable population. METHODS: This matched case–control psychological autopsy study was conducted during June 2014 to September 2015. Consecutive samples of suicides aged 60 or above were identified in three provinces (Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi) in China. Living comparisons were 1:1 matched with the suicides in age (±3 years old), gender, and living location. Risk factors included demographic characteristics, being left-behind, mental disorder, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and social support. RESULTS: A total of 242 suicides and 242 comparisons were enrolled: 135 (55.8%) were male, mean (s.d.) age was 74 (8) years. The most frequently used suicide means were pesticides (125, 51.7%) and hanging (95, 39.3%). Independent risks of suicide included unstable marital status [odds ratio (OR) 4.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.61–10.92], unemployed (compared with employed, OR 4.43, 95% CI 1.09–17.95), depressive symptoms (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.21–1.48), and mental disorder (OR 6.28, 95% CI 1.75–22.54). Structural equation model indicated that the association between being left-behind and suicide was mediated by mental disorder, depressive symptoms, stressful life events, and social support. CONCLUSIONS: Unstable marital status, unemployed, depressive symptoms, and mental disorder are independent risk factors for suicide in rural elderly. Being left-behind can elevate the suicide risk through increasing life stresses, depressive symptoms, mental disorder, and decreasing social support. Elderly suicide may be prevented by restricting pesticides, training rural physicians, treating mental disorders, mitigating life stress, and enhancing social connection. Cambridge University Press 2019-02 2018-04-25 /pmc/articles/PMC6331683/ /pubmed/29692283 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S003329171800106X Text en © Cambridge University Press 2018 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Original Articles
Zhou, Liang
Wang, Guojun
Jia, Cunxian
Ma, Zhenyu
Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study
title Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study
title_full Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study
title_fullStr Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study
title_full_unstemmed Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study
title_short Being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural China: a case–control psychological autopsy study
title_sort being left-behind, mental disorder, and elderly suicide in rural china: a case–control psychological autopsy study
topic Original Articles
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6331683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29692283
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S003329171800106X
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