Factors Associated With Achieving Complete Mental Health Among Individuals With Lifetime Suicide Ideation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with complete mental health among Canadians who had ever seriously considered suicide. Data for this study were obtained from Statistics Canada’s 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health (n = 2,844). The outcome variable examined in this study was complete mental health and was analyzed using binary logistic regression. Of the 2,844 respondents with lifetime suicide ideation, 1,088 (38.2%) had complete mental health (i.e., had flourishing mental health, no mental illness, and no suicide ideation in the past 12 months). Those who had a confidant were seven times more likely to have complete mental health. Other factors associated with achieving complete mental health among formerly suicidal respondents include being older, being a woman, having higher income, use of religious coping, and never previously having a mental illness. Considering the importance of these protective factors in formulating public health policies will allow for a more wide-reaching approach to suicide prevention.