Determinants of suicidal behavior among elders in Northwest Ethiopia: implications for prevention

The extent of suicidal behavior was found to be high in this study. The associated factors of suicide behavior include being unmarried, having a poor social network, having depression, chronic illness, and geriatric mistreatments. Therefore, clinicians should do routine mental health examinations for older persons, focusing on those who have a history of elder abuse or chronic illnesses, as these are major risk factors for suicide behavior. To detect and treat suicidal thoughts in elder populations, healthcare professionals should get culturally appropriate training. For legislators: create policies that address elder abuse by instituting community reporting mechanisms and legal protections for elder citizens, and give top priority to developing national healthcare initiatives that include elder-specific mental health and suicide prevention programs.