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Do Meaning in Life and Purpose in Life Protect Against Suicide Ideation Among Community-Residing Older Adults?

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Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology

Abstract

Theory, research, and clinical practice suggest that perceptions of meaning in life (MIL) and purpose in life (PIL) may enhance mental health and well-being and protect against suicide risk among older adults. In this study, we investigated cross-sectional associations among MIL, PIL, and suicide ideation in community-residing older adults recruited into a longitudinal study of risk and resiliency to the onset and/or exacerbation of late-life depression and suicide ideation. A total of 173 adults, 65 years or older (M = 73.9, SD = 6.1, Range: 65–93 years) completed a demographics questionnaire and measures of suicide ideation and associated risk (depressive symptom severity and social hopelessness) and potential resiliency factors (MIL, PIL, and subjective well-being). Zero-order correlation coefficients supported hypothesized positive associations between suicide ideation and the risk factors and negative associations among suicide ideation, MIL, PIL, and subjective well-being. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that MIL significantly protected against suicide ideation controlling for the risk factors and the additional resiliency factors, replicating and extending our previous findings among middle-aged clinical and heterogeneous older adult samples. MIL further interacted significantly with depressive symptom severity in protecting against suicide ideation; however, PIL did not. Study findings thus add to a growing body of literature suggesting that perceptions of MIL may play a critical role in conferring resiliency to contemplations of suicide among older adults.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychiatry and of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Marnin J. Heisel

  2. Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada

    Marnin J. Heisel

  3. Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA

    Marnin J. Heisel

  4. Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Gordon L. Flett

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  1. Marnin J. Heisel
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Correspondence to Marnin J. Heisel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Alexander Batthyany

  2. Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Pninit Russo-Netzer

Appendix

Appendix

Table 18.1 Descriptive characteristics of study participants (N = 173)
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Table 18.2 Zero-order correlations among suicide ideation and study risk and resiliency factors
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Table 18.3 Hierarchical multiple regression analysis predicting suicide ideation (GSIS) with meaning in life, controlling for study risk and resiliency factors
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Table 18.4 Hierarchical multiple regression analysis testing the interaction of meaning in life and depression on suicide ideation (GSIS)
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Table  18.5 Hierarchical multiple regression analysis testing the interaction of purpose in life and depression on suicide ideation (GSIS)
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Heisel, M.J., Flett, G.L. (2014). Do Meaning in Life and Purpose in Life Protect Against Suicide Ideation Among Community-Residing Older Adults?. In: Batthyany, A., Russo-Netzer, P. (eds) Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0308-5_18

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