Date of Conferral

8-8-2025

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Peter Anderson

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers suicide and suicide ideation as a severe public health issue among older men and people with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a predictive relationship between the level of disability, type of disability (i.e., physical, visual, hearing), functional disability, (i.e., mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs), and having multiple disabilities on suicide ideation among men with a disability who are aged 60 years and older while controlling for age, depression, marital status and retirement status. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior provided the theoretical framework of this study because the interactions of loneliness and burdensomeness are considered a pathway to suicide ideation. Data from N=2250 respondents ages 60 years and older who completed the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed as part of the quantitative cross-sectional research design. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the data, and the results showed that vision disability and functional disability in self-care ADL’s predicted suicide ideation. Higher levels of depressive symptoms and being in the age 7180 age group (compared to those aged 60-70) were significantly associated with increased suicide ideation. Findings from the study may demonstrate the importance of the type of disability, depression, and age in studying the risk for suicide ideation in retired men. The study may promote positive social change through suicide prevention in vulnerable individuals who are undergoing life transitions (i.e., retirement) improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

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