Assessment of selected suicide risk factors and the level of spirituals transcendence and religiosity

Abstract

Suicide is a global phenomenon and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The analysis covers suicidal risk factors (depression, psychological pain, fascination with death) and protective factors (spirituality, religiosity) in the population of healthy people in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the relationship between recent stressful events and suicide risk factors. In the period from October 2020 to March 2021, 260 people aged 18-63 were surveyed electronically, using the own questionnaire and Polish adaptations of research tools to assess: depression, mental pain, anxiety and fascination with death, spirituality and religiosity and the AUDIT screening test. 38.8% of the respondents achieved the result indicating the presence of symptoms of depression and the need for specialist consultation. Women achieved higher results compared to men (Z = -2.424; p = 0.015). In the measurement of religiosity and spiritual transcendence, the lowest score was noted on the following scales: religious commitment, religious crisis and fulfillment in prayer, while the highest score in the sense of attachment scale. Among the maximum results, the lowest was recorded in the measurement of transcendence and the highest in religious commitment. In the subscale of religious commitment, the respondents achieved the lowest average intensity, and slightly higher in the measurement of the religious crisis. However, the feeling of fulfillment in prayer and universality were the most intense. Statistical significance was demonstrated between depression and fascination with death (ρ = 0.399; p <0.001) and depression and psychological pain (ρ = 0.677; p <0.001). As the religious crisis intensified, the following also intensified: depression (ρ = 0.290; p <0.001), psychological pain (ρ = 0.279; p <0.001) and fascination with death (ρ = 0.224; p <0.001). A positive correlation was found between the number of stressful events and depression (ρ = 0.259; p <0.001) and psychological pain (ρ = 0.295; p <0.001). Statistical significance was demonstrated in the analysis of the impact of recent stressors on suicide risk factors. Psychological pain is the strongest predictor of the "S" sample, and the religious crisis is associated with a greater severity of suicide risk factors. Depressiveness correlates with the intensity of mental pain and fascination with death in people with a high level of spiritual transcendence and religiosity. Increased depression and psychological pain are more common in women and in people experiencing recent stressful situations in life.