Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults in Prison: A Qualitative Study.
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| Title: | Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults in Prison: A Qualitative Study. |
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| Authors: | Avieli, Hila1 (AUTHOR) havieli@gmail.com |
| Source: | Omega: Journal of Death & Dying. Aug2026, Vol. 93 Issue 3, p2214-2233. 20p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Correctional institutions, *Qualitative research, *Emotions, *Research methodology, Suicidal ideation, Research funding, Control (Psychology), Mental health, Interviewing, Prison psychology, Judgment sampling, Sound recordings, Thematic analysis, Life course approach, Despair, Phenomenology, Psychosocial factors, Old age |
| Abstract: | Suicide is a serious public health concern, and people who are incarcerated represent a particularly high-risk group. Although research on the suicidality of persons in prison has gained interest in recent decades, the issue of suicide among older adults in prison has been understudied. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the ways in which older adults in prison understood their experiences of suicidal ideation. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was utilized to analyze interviews with 16 incarcerated older adults. The analysis of the findings revealed four themes: (1) Suicide intentions as a control strategy; (2) Suicide intentions as an act of resistance; (3) Suicide intentions as a means of self-redemption, and (4) Suicide intentions in the absence of other choices. Guided by the life course perspective, the findings suggest that suicidal ideation serves as a means of expressing distinct emotional states that may be unique to older adults in carceral environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Omega: Journal of Death & Dying is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Suicide is a serious public health concern, and people who are incarcerated represent a particularly high-risk group. Although research on the suicidality of persons in prison has gained interest in recent decades, the issue of suicide among older adults in prison has been understudied. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the ways in which older adults in prison understood their experiences of suicidal ideation. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was utilized to analyze interviews with 16 incarcerated older adults. The analysis of the findings revealed four themes: (1) Suicide intentions as a control strategy; (2) Suicide intentions as an act of resistance; (3) Suicide intentions as a means of self-redemption, and (4) Suicide intentions in the absence of other choices. Guided by the life course perspective, the findings suggest that suicidal ideation serves as a means of expressing distinct emotional states that may be unique to older adults in carceral environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00302228 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00302228241276561 |
