The association between experiential avoidance, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in hospitalized older adults with functional impairments: the moderating role of resilience

Background Experiential avoidance (EA) has been linked to intensified negative emotions among hospitalized older adults experiencing functional impairment due to physical limitations and the loss of autonomy, and this is linked to elevated suicidal ideation (SI) risk. This study examined the association between EA and SI, proposing depressive symptoms as a mediator and resilience as a moderator. Methods 717 hospitalized older adults with functional impairments were recruited from four hospitals. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing EA, SI, depressive symptoms, and resilience. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4, 7 and 14) in SPSS. Results The study revealed a significant positive association between EA and SI among hospitalized older adults with functional impairments ( β =0.164, P