Anxiety association with suicidal ideation or behaviour in individuals aged 18 – 49 years

¹ Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Addiction Disorders, Riga, Latvia
² Rıga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia

Abstract

Anxiety and suicide – closely related concepts, the understanding of which would contribute to the overall mental and physical health of society, and which is the basis for the successful development of any country. The primary aim of the study is to identify anxiety indicators for individuals with suicide ideation or behaviour. Secondary – find out anxiety association with suicidal ideation or behaviour in individuals aged 18–49 years. For research purposes, a questionnaire created by the authors and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety self-evaluation questionnaire were used which helped to obtain the data about 165 people aged 18–49 years who have had suicidal ideation or behaviour, or attempts. The results of the study reveal that the more frequent manifestations of suicide are suicidal ideation rather than suicidal behaviour or attempts. The study produced results that confirm a positive association between higher anxiety state and suicidal ideation as well as recurrence of thoughts i.e. the higher the anxiety state the more often and repeatedly people think about suicide. The same correlation can be observed between anxiety trait and suicidal thoughts and their recurrence.