Longitudinal relationships between positive affect, loneliness, and suicide ideation: age-specific factors in a general population
Abstract
The aims of this study were to analyze whether positive and negative affect, social support, and loneliness are factors longitudinally related to suicide ideation in the general population in different age groups. A total of 2,392 individuals from a nationally representative sample of the Spanish general population were evaluated in 2011–2012 and in 2014–2015. After including relevant control variables in the analyses, lower positive affect was prospectively related to ideation in 18‐ to 59‐year‐old individuals, whereas feelings of loneliness were related to ideation in 60‐year‐and‐older individuals. Social support was not associated with suicide ideation in any age group. These results are in line with the need for age‐tailored suicide prevention programs. The present findings might also suggest that health care professionals should consider feelings of loneliness rather than social support to assess the presence of suicide ideation in older people.
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Lonely people may be particularly susceptible to disengaging from treatment early.
“Given that loneliness is a significant and independent risk factor for complex psychopathology, including depression and suicidal ideation [8,9,11,12,34-36], lonely people may be particularly susceptible to disengaging from treatment early.”
Loneliness is associated with more complex psychopathology, including depression and suicidal ideation.
“These results are consistent with the existing literature examining the relationship between loneliness and mental health to the extent that they suggest that loneliness is associated with more complex psychopathology [8,9,11,12,34-36].”
Bennardi et al. (2019) found that loneliness only predicted suicidal ideation in the participant group aged >60 years old in comparison to those aged under 60 years of age.
“Bennardi et al. (2019) found that loneliness only predicted suicidal ideation in the participant group aged >60 years old in comparison to those aged under 60 years of age.”
From Loneliness as a predictor of suicidal ideation and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2020) · cites this paper as Bennardi et al. (2019)
Four of the nine studies reporting adjusted effect sizes reported that the loneliness-SIB relationship remained significant after controlling for various demographic factors.
“Four of these studies reported that the loneliness-SIB relationship remained significant after controlling for various demographic factors”
From Loneliness as a predictor of suicidal ideation and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2020) · cites this paper as Bennardi et al., 2019
With the exception of Bennardi et al. (2019), who controlled for multiple demographics and health factors, and Junker et al. (2017), who controlled for age, all effect sizes were unadjusted.
“With the exception of both Bennardi et al. (2019) who controlled for multiple demographics and health factors, and Junker et al. (2017) who controlled for age, all effect sizes were unadjusted.”
From Loneliness as a predictor of suicidal ideation and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2020) · cites this paper as Bennardi et al. (2019)
Two studies noted a drop-off in the loneliness-SIB relationship in adults aged approximately 65 years old.
“two studies (Ayalon and Shiovitz-Ezra, 2011; Bennardi et al., 2019) noted a 'drop-off' in the loneliness-SIB relationship in adults aged approximately 65 years old.”
From Loneliness as a predictor of suicidal ideation and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2020) · cites this paper as Bennardi et al., 2019
In the Bennardi et al. (2019) study, after adjustment, suicidal ideation remained significantly predictive of suicidal ideation at follow-up in Group 2 only (p = 0.009).
“Adjusted: Suicidal ideation remained significantly predictive of suicidal ideation at follow-up in Group 2 only. (p = 0.009)”
From Loneliness as a predictor of suicidal ideation and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies (2020) · cites this paper as Bennardi et al. (2019)
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“Research has found that loneliness is more prevalent in adolescents and young adults than in working-aged adults [11] and that it can contribute to the rapid onset and escalation of depression [8,9] and suicidal ideation [11,12] during adolescence.”
- Authors
- Bennardi, M., Caballero, F. F., Miret, M., Ayuso‐Mateos, J. L., Haro, J. M., Lara, E., Arensman, E., & Cabello, M.
- Affiliations
- University College Cork (IE)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (ES)
- Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid
- ORCID
- Venue
- Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-12-06
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 90-103
- ISSN
- 0363-0234 (ISSN-L)
- 1943-278X
- OpenAlex
- W2774160225
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 3.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Hispana (submittedVersion)
- Biblos-e Archivo (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013, 316795, FP7/2007‐2013, 223071)
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (ACI2009‐1010)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PS09/00295, PS09/01845, PI12/01490, PI13/00059)
- European Regional Development Fund (PI12/01490, PI13/00059)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental
- Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (FPU13/03573)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- suicidal ideation, positive affect, loneliness, social support, age differences, older adults, suicide prevention, negative affect, general population
- MeSH terms
- Suicide Prevention, Adult, Affect, Age Factors, Aged, Female, Humans, Loneliness, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Preventive Psychiatry, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Social Support, Spain, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation
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