Table 1. Characteristics of subjects and prevalence rates of suicidal ideation by variables.
| Variables | No. of inpatients | No. of suicidal ideators | Rate of suicidal ideation, % | χ2 | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | 255 | 33 | 12.9 | 2.127 | 0.145 |
| Female | 262 | 46 | 17.6 | |||
| Age (years) | 20-49 | 111 | 19 | 17.1 | ||
| 50-64 | 240 | 31 | 12.9 | 1.94 | 0.379 | |
| 65+ | 166 | 29 | 17.5 | |||
| Education (years) | ≤6 | 126 | 16 | 12.7 | ||
| 7-9 | 206 | 28 | 13.6 | 3.833 | 0.28 | |
| 10-12 | 147 | 26 | 17.7 | |||
| ≥13 | 38 | 9 | 23.7 | |||
| Marital status | Married or remarried | 489 | 72 | 14.7 | 2.16 | 0.142 |
| Others* | 28 | 7 | 25.0 | |||
| Place of abode | Urban | 305 | 39 | 12.8 | 3.573 | 0.059 |
| Rural | 212 | 40 | 18.9 | |||
| Living arrangement | Not alone | 464 | 68 | 14.7 | 1.367 | 0.242 |
| Alone | 53 | 11 | 20.8 | |||
| Religious belief | No | 492 | 70 | 14.2 | 8.712 | 0.003 |
| Yes | 25 | 9 | 36.0 | |||
| Self-rated economic status | Moderate or good | 312 | 39 | 12.5 | 4.699 | 0.030 |
| Poor | 205 | 40 | 19.5 | |||
| A family history of psychiatric illness | No | 503 | 72 | 14.3 | 13.399 | <0.001 |
| Yes | 14 | 7 | 50.0 | |||
| A relative or friend who completed/attempted suicide | No | 505 | 74 | 14.7 | 6.607 | 0.010 |
| Yes | 12 | 5 | 41.7 | |||
| Depressive symptoms | No | 321 | 14 | 4.4 | 77.982 | <0.001 |
| Yes | 196 | 65 | 33.2 | |||
| Anxiety symptoms | No | 132 | 2 | 1.5 | 25.945 | <0.001 |
| Yes | 387 | 77 | 20.0 | |||
| Intensity of pain | None and mild | 363 | 35 | 9.6 | 29.929 | <0.001 |
| Moderate and severe | 154 | 44 | 28.6 | |||
| Cancer staging | Local | 145 | 9 | 6.2 | ||
| Regional | 144 | 22 | 15.3 | 15.089 | 0.001 | |
| Metastatic | 228 | 48 | 21.1 | |||
| Time since cancer diagnosis (months) | ≤18 | 275 | 51 | 18.5 | 4.838 | 0.028 |
| >18 | 242 | 28 | 11.6 | |||
| No. of hospital admissions | ≤2 | 117 | 21 | 17.9 | 0.832 | 0.362 |
| >2 | 400 | 58 | 14.5 | |||
| ECOG Scale score of performance status# | 1-2 | 395 | 41 | 10.4 | 31.055 | <0.001 |
| 3-4 | 122 | 38 | 31.1 | |||
| Current treatment regimen | Chemotherapy or radiotherapy | 338 | 40 | 11.8 | ||
| Palliative care | 143 | 29 | 20.3 | 10.205 | 0.006 | |
| Surgery | 36 | 10 | 27.8 |
* “Others” included never married, separated, cohabitating, divorced, and widowed.
#1=Restricted in physically strenuous activity but ambulatory and able to carry out work of a light or sedentary nature, e.g., light house work, office work; 2=Ambulatory and capable of all self-care but unable to carry out any work activities; up and about more than 50% of waking hours; 3= Capable of only limited self-care; confined to bed or chair more than 50% of waking hours; 4= Completely disabled; cannot carry on any self-care; totally confined to bed or chair.