The Effects of Functional Disability on Body Trust and Suicidal Ideation in Older Adults

Although older adults account for a relatively small proportion of total suicide deaths each year, suicide rates tend to increase as a function of age, with older adults representing a particularly high-risk group. In a 2021 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that suicide rates had increased among men ages 55-74 (26.6 deaths per 100,000) and women ages 55-84 (5.6 deaths per 100,000) over the preceding two decades (CDC, 2021). The causes of suicide in older adults remain poorly understood, but several potential contributors have been identified, including social isolation (e.g., due to deaths of family or friends) and age-related declines in physical health (Conejero et al., 2018). Because older adults tend to be underrepresented in the suicide literature, additional research is needed to improve our understanding of the unique factors that contribute to increased suicide risk within this vulnerable, and growing, population. One possible mechanism that may account for the increased risk of suicide in older adults is functional decline, or a reduced capacity to meet one’s own basic needs (WHO, 2015). Functional decline is common in older adults and can create a cascade of subsequent health issues, due in part to its disabling effects (Schupf et al., 2005), which can interfere with the treatment of other conditions (Colón-Emeric et al., 2013). Functional decline may also lead to diminished body trust, a facet of interoception reflecting the belief that one’s own body is trustworthy (van der Hoort et al., 2017). As body trust has been implicated in the onset and maintenance of suicidality (Perry et al., 2021), it is possible that age-related functional decline increases risk for suicide via its effects on body trust. Given these considerations, the aim of the present study is to test whether body trust serves as a mediator of the relationship between functional decline and suicidal ideation in older adults.