Research Article

Intimate partnerships, suicidal ideation and suicide-related hospitalization among young Kenyan men

Authors

Michael L. Goodman, Sarah E. Seidel, Derrick Gibson, Gwen Lin, Janki Patel, Philip Keiser, and Stanley Gitari

Citation

Goodman ML, Seidel SE, Gibson D, Lin G, Patel J, Keiser P, Gitari S. Intimate Partnerships, Suicidal Ideation and Suicide-Related Hospitalization Among Young Kenyan Men. Community Ment Health J. 2020 Oct;56(7):1225-1238. doi: 10.1007/s10597-020-00572-0. Epub 2020 Feb 4. PMID: 32020388; PMCID: PMC9307072.

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Publication Year

2020

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Abstract

The first study focused on a three-month chart review containing information on suicide attempts (n = 34) admitted to a local mission hospital in Meru County, Kenya. The second study utilized a cross-sectional survey administered to men 18–34 years old (n = 532) residing in rural Kenya. Data posit intimate partnership discord as salient to suicide ideation and behavior. Men who reported their partner status was “divorced” had four-times the odds of reporting suicide ideation than other partnership states, an association significantly mediated by loneliness. Violent conflict tactics predicted suicidal ideation, mediated by loneliness and decreased marital satisfaction.