The interrelations of agency, depression, and suicidal ideation among older adults

Mitchell Hobbs, Suzanne McLaren

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The high rates of suicide among older men are cause for concern, and have prompted the investigation of factors that might explain these elevated rates. The current research examined whether the gender role construct agency was associated with depression and suicidal ideation among older adults. The results, based on self-report data from a sample of older Australian men (n = 69) and women (n = 90), indicated that depression mediated the relation between agency and suicidal ideation. In addition, for older men only, agency moderated the depression-suicidal ideation relation. The results suggest that older adults, and particularly men, with low levels of agency should be the targets for interventions aimed at increasing levels of agency and improving mental health.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-171
Number of pages11
JournalSuicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
Volume39
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01 Apr 2009

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The interrelations of agency, depression, and suicidal ideation among older adults'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this