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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 4/2014

01-04-2014 | Original Paper

Social support and suicidal ideation in Japan: are home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation among elderly people in the community?

Authors: Masayuki Noguchi, Toshihide Iwase, Etsuji Suzuki, Yoko Kishimoto, Soshi Takao

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 4/2014

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Abstract

Aims

Social support has consistently been reported to be effective in reducing suicidal ideation. This cross-sectional study was performed to determine whether home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers (i.e., organizations of community residents appointed by national or prefectural governments) are associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation among the elderly.

Methods

In August 2010, questionnaires were sent to all residents aged ≥65 years in three municipalities (n = 21,232) in Okayama prefecture, Japan, and 13,929 returned the questionnaire (response rate: 65.6 %). We finally analyzed 11,218 subjects. Both home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers and suicidal ideation within the last 30 days were assessed in the questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for suicidal ideation were calculated adjusting for age, sex, educational attainment, and marital status. We then additionally adjusted for instrumental and emotional support, separately.

Results

The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 10.0 % and higher in women than in men (11.4 % vs. 8.0 %). Home visits were significantly associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation after adjusting for instrumental and emotional support, respectively (OR: 0.60, 95 % CI: 0.53–0.69; OR: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.59–0.78). In sex-stratified analysis, the association was clearer for women than for men: the corresponding ORs among women were 0.55 (95 % CI: 0.46–0.65) and 0.61 (95 % CI: 0.52–0.73), whereas they were 0.71 (95 % CI: 0.56–0.90) and 0.78 (95 % CI: 0.61–0.99) among men.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers are significantly associated with lower suicidal ideation among the elderly, particularly in women.
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Metadata
Title
Social support and suicidal ideation in Japan: are home visits by commissioned welfare volunteers associated with a lower risk of suicidal ideation among elderly people in the community?
Authors
Masayuki Noguchi
Toshihide Iwase
Etsuji Suzuki
Yoko Kishimoto
Soshi Takao
Publication date
01-04-2014
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 4/2014
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0752-5

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