The cost of being apart: The contribution of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness to suicide ideation among Israeli older adults

Older adults have the highest suicide rates of all age groups in most industrialized countries. However, research concerning psychological risk factors for suicide among older adults is sparse. Thus, our study aimed to examine the contribution of perceived burdensomeness (PB) and thwarted belongingness (TB) to suicide ideation (SI) among older adults. Participants included 160 Israeli older adults (aged 65-91 years), who completed measures of suicide risk, PB, and TB as well as hopelessness and depression. Using hierarchical regression, we found that PB and TB accounted for 9.8% of the variance in SI and that the interaction of PB and TB had a significant unique contribution to SI among the participants, beyond the effect of hopelessness and depression. The study’s findings highlight the contribution of interpersonal variables to SI among older adults and suggest that mental health professionals should be aware of PB and TB levels when assessing suicide risk among older adults.