Depressive symptomatology as an explanation of suicidal behavior in old age
Keywords:
behavior, aging, elderly, depressive symptomatology, suicideAbstract
Background. Prevention of suicidal behavior is a challenge for public health, in 2019 703,000 individuals committed suicide worldwide, equivalent to one in ten, with gender variation evident by rates in men that are double those of women by region ; in the Americas suicide in the elderly increased by 17% between 2000-2019.
Objetive. The purpose of this study was to evaluate depressive symptomatology and its relation as a risk factor that contributes to suicidal behavior in the elderly in five Colombian cities.
Methods. An observational quantitative study was carried out, with an analytical design to evaluate factors associated in a survey of 2506 individuals older than 60 years of age. A univariate analysis was performed to calculate absolute and relative frequencies and statistical measures; bivariate analysis was used to estimate the relationship between the dependent variable (suicidal behavior) and the independent variable (depressive symptomatology) and demographic, social and health variables were used to adjust the final model. In this analysis, hypothesis tests, p-values (p<0.05 statistical association), crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and their corresponding confidence intervals were calculated. Factors were estimated with logistical regression.
Results. The risk of suicidal behavior was 45.8%, with a higher proportion in adults residing in the city of Pereira, followed by residents in urban areas of Medellín and Santa Marta. The variability of risk of suicidal behavior in the elderly is explained in 51.9% of cases by aspects such as depressive symptomatology, males, physical inactivity, and perception of low quality of life.
Conclusions. It can be concluded that suicidal behavior in older people is a multifactorial phenomenon and is preventable, which is why it requires first the early detection of depressive symptoms, followed by the promotion of physical activity and the subjective perception of quality of life. For this reason, public health policies are needed that promote happiness, dignify old age and respect their rights as valuable contributors to our society, especially now that Colombia is heading towards an aging of the populations, this must be with a guarantee of their human rights.
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