Emphasis on Autonomy and Propensity for Suicidal Behavior in Younger and Older Adults

Abstract

A cognitive style marked by emphasis on autonomy has been linked to negative outcomes throughout the life span. Two preliminary studies are presented that examined factors on a measure of autonomy (Personal Style Inventory-Revised) in relation to propensity for suicidal behavior (Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-14; SBQ-14). Perfectionism, B = .15, SE = 0.03, p < .01, and Defensive Separation, B = .04, SE = 0.01, p £ .01, predicted SBQ-14 in younger adults. Need for Control, B = .234, SE = 0.10, p < .05, predicted SBQ-14 in older adults. Findings suggest that aspects of autonomy may be relevant to understanding suicidal behavior; however, more research is needed examining the association between autonomy and suicidal behavior in the context of depression. Nonetheless, these studies suggest a promising avenue for future research.

Depressive Symptoms and Suicide Risk in Older Adults: Value Placed on Autonomy as a Moderator for Men but Not Women

“…Low OTE in older adults has been found to be associated with suicide (Duberstein, ; Duberstein, Conwell, & Caine, ). Although past research has not found a significant interaction between autonomy and sex predicting suicide risk (O'Riley & Fiske, ), these findings were limited because depressive symptoms were not included in the model. A high value placed on autonomy may act as a diathesis among older adults, in whom depressive symptoms are particularly likely to be associated with stressful life events of the type that threaten autonomy (e.g., illness events; Beck, ; Mazure et al., ; Morse & Robins, ).…”

“…Individuals who place a higher value on autonomy may find themselves resistant to applying a diverse set of strategies to cope with age‐related declines, thereby increasing risk for suicide. Consistent with this proposition, past research has demonstrated that older adults who endorse greater need for control, as measured by a subscale of a measure of autonomy (Robins et al., ), have greater suicidal ideation (O'Riley & Fiske, ).…”

“…Robins et al. () further operationalized the components of autonomy to include excessive perfectionism, need for control, and defensive separation from others, which are largely considered maladaptive (Mazure et al., ; O'Riley & Fiske, ; Robins et al., ). For example, an older adult man with recently diagnosed chronic disease may no longer be able to take care of household chores because of physical disability.…”

Perceived Burdensomeness in Older and Younger Adults: Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire

“…Previous research has found that different subfactors within the measure of value placed on autonomy (perfectionism, defensive separation, and need for control) were associated with suicidality in younger versus older adults (O'Riley & Fiske, ). Such differences by factor may also help to explain age differences in the association between autonomy and perceived burdensomeness in the current study.…”

“…In addition, young adults aged 18 to 29 years exhibit higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts compared to older adults (Crosby, Han, Ortega, Parks, & Gfroerer, ). In regard to autonomy, younger adults (aged 18–24 years) score higher on measures of autonomy than older adults (O'Riley & Fiske, ). The lower scores of older adults from the West Virginia community compared to younger adults on MTurk on the CES‐D might also be explained by the relatively high functioning of community‐dwelling older adults and the relatively higher levels of clinical symptoms in MTurk samples compared to traditional samples.…”