Abstract
BackgroundSuicide is a global issue among the elderly. The number of older people committing suicide is proliferating, and the elderly suicide rate is the highest among all age groups in China. A better understanding of the possible protective factors against suicidal ideation is necessary to facilitate prevention and intervention efforts. The objectives of the present study are threefold. First, this study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the three-dimensional inventory of character strengths (TICS) with a sample of older adults. Second, this study intends to investigate correlations among suicide ideation, wellbeing, and character strengths. Third, the study seeks to explore the possible protective roles of the three character strengths and wellbeing in explaining suicidal ideation among older adults.MethodsA cross-sectional study comprising 308 older adults aged at least 50 years old from nursing homes was conducted. Four questionnaires, namely, the TICS, the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale—10 items, the Brief Inventory of Thriving, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, were used. Exploratory structural equation modeling, intraclass correlation coefficients, partial correlations, and sets of hierarchical regressions were adopted to estimate and report the results.ResultsTICS could be used to assess the character strengths (i.e., caring, inquisitiveness, and self-control) among older adults with an acceptable goodness-of-fit (chi square = 157.30, df = 63, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.07, 90% CI = [0.06, 0.08]). Wellbeing and character strengths exhibited a negative association with suicidal ideation among older adults. Moreover, character strengths showed an independently cross-sectional relationship with suicidal ideation, explaining 65.1% of the variance of suicidal ideation after controlling for the wellbeing and demographics.ConclusionThis study indicated that character strengths were associated with low levels of suicidal ideation. Therefore, the protective factors against suicidal ideation among older adults should be given additional attention.
Highlights
Suicide is a global issue among the elderly
The reliability of Brief inventory of thriving (BIT) was moderate (ICC = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.63–0.74]), and the reliability of Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) was moderate to good (ICC = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.72–0.80)
In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of three-dimensional inventory of character strengths (TICS) with a sample of 308 older adults aged at least 50 years old and the possible protective factors of suicidal ideation
Summary
Suicide is a global issue among the elderly. The number of older people committing suicide is proliferating, and the elderly suicide rate is the highest among all age groups in China. The study seeks to explore the possible protective roles of the three character strengths and wellbeing in explaining suicidal ideation among older adults. Previous studies have focused on the risk factors of suicidal ideation among older adults. Many other previous studies in this area have demonstrated that these risk factors, such as the older adults’ age, financial strain, poor health, depression, filial piety of children, social network, low perceived control, and loneliness, are correlated with suicidal ideation [1]. Older adults, who isolate themselves from society, feel lonely, and worry about their future, may come up with the idea of ending their life to stop their suffering These studies have indicated that negative individual (e.g., hopelessness) and social (e.g., isolation) factors can contribute to the risk of suicidal ideation of older adults. With the emergence of positive psychology, which has been defined as the scientific study of optimal human functioning [10], an increasing number of researchers has shifted their focus from passive influential factors to the effect of positive factors [11]
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