Loneliness and social integration as mediators between physical pain and suicidal ideation among elderly men

OBJECTIVES: Suicide in the elderly is a complex and significant public health problem. The purpose of our study was to examine the role of loneliness and social integration as potential mediators in the relationship between physical pain and suicidal ideation in the elderly. DESIGN: Descriptive, bivariate correlations, and moderated mediation analyses were performed. SETTING: Personal meetings were held with participants in their homes. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 198 elderly men aged 65 and over. MEASUREMENTS: Self-report measures: Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Physical pain subscale, Multidimensional Social Integration in Later Life Scale, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (Version 3). RESULTS: Our findings showed that the association between physical pain and suicidal ideation was mediated by loneliness and social integration. Further analyses revealed that this mediation model was significant among single, but not married, men. CONCLUSIONS: Physical pain and social factors are both important in understanding suicidality in late life. Elderly single men who experience physical pain may be lonelier and less socially integrated, and these factors may contribute to higher risk of suicidal ideation.