Unveiling hope: how social support reciprocity shields against the shadows of intimate partner violence and suicidal ideation in rural Chinese older adults

The paper titled “A systematic review of psychosocial protective factors against suicide and suicidality among older adults” by Ki and colleagues is a thought-provoking review that emphasizes the importance of improving protective factors for the development of suicide prevention and intervention in older adults, rather than just focusing on risk factors. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, media coverage of mental health and suicide has gained widespread attention. Suicide may become a more pressing issue due to the enormous economic and social toll of the spreading epidemic. Therefore, this systematic review is relevant in preventing suicide among older adults in the “post-pandemic” periods of COVID-19. In this study, the authors highlight the importance of examining the moderating or mediating role of protective factors in suicide, due to the fact that suicide prevention must take into account a variety of factors simultaneously. More importantly, most studies focused primarily on received support among interpersonal protective factors, neglecting the role of support given to others, which might be more beneficial for older adults’ well-being. The thought that ensues is what role will social support reciprocity play in specific risk factors and suicidal behavior.