This article explores suicidal ideation among people aged 50+ in Central European (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), Nordic (Sweden, Finland, Denmark), and Baltic (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) countries, using SHARE Wave 9 data (N = 20,996, including 1,356 migrants). Migrants reported higher rates of suicidal thoughts (6.9%) than non-migrants (4.8%). Using logistic regression, factors such as age, education, loneliness, and depression explained most of the variance in suicidal ideation. The overall difference between migrants and non-migrants was small once these factors were controlled. Within the migrant subsample, those residing in Baltic countries had lower odds of suicidal ideation compared to those residing in Nordic countries. These findings underscore the importance of socio-geographical context and psychosocial factors, highlighting the need for targeted support strategies. As aging and migration reshape Europe, emotional well-being must remain central to suicide prevention efforts.
Gundersen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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