Suicidal Ideation in People with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Suicidal behavior is considered a worldwide social phenomenon and a serious public health problem. In this regard, people with traumatic spinal cord injury may be associated with low mood, depression, suicidal ideation, and behavior. To evaluate the factors associated with suicidal ideation in people with SCI, this is quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in a virtual environment. In total, 200 people aged 18 or over with TSCI living in Brazil took part in the study. Data were collected using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, answered online by participants using SurveyMonkey®. The sample consisted of 200 participants, most of whom were male, from southeast Brazil, with a mean age of 36.22 years, a duration of injury of 134.4 months, and a 32.5% frequency of suicidal ideation, as suicidal ideation was also verified in relation to the variables of schooling, rehabilitation, and consequence of injury. A statistically significant relationship was found between the duration of injury and suicidal ideation. According to the results, a considerable percentage of these individuals still think about suicide. On the other hand, the duration of the injury showed a significant difference in relation to suicidal ideation, and it was observed that the shorter the duration of spinal cord injury, the greater the likelihood of suicidal ideation.