Sociodemographic Disparities in the Relationship between Living Alone and Suicide Ideation among Older Adults

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between living arrangements and suicide ideation, while examining how sociodemographic factors, including race and income, interact with living arrangements to influence the likelihood of these behaviors. Data on 149,996 individuals aged 50 and above were extracted from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2020 to 2022, a nationally representative, annual, cross-sectional survey of U.S. residents. The study focused on individuals aged 50 and above in three racial groups (White individuals, Black individuals, and Hispanic individuals) and utilized multiple logistic regression models to analyze the data. The results show that living alone was not a significant predictor for suicide ideation after adjusting for depression, and gender, but the association between living alone and suicide ideation was moderated by race and income. Specifically, the association between living alone and suicide ideation was stronger in Black individuals compared to White individuals (AOR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.06–6.87, p = 0.037). Additionally, the association between living alone and suicide ideation was smaller in the third income category (annual income $50,000 - $74,999) than first income category (annual income < $20,000) (AOR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09–0.94, p = 0.039). These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to reduce suicidal behaviors in vulnerable populations.