Citation

Haatainen KM, Tanskanen A, Kylma J, Honkalampi K, Koivumaa-Honkanen H, Hintikka J, Antikainen R, Viinamaki H. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2003; 33(4): 373-380.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. kaisa.haatainen@kuh.fi

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

14695052

Abstract

Information on hopelessness at the population level is limited, and no previous studies have focused on its stability in a general population. We examined the stability and associated factors of hopelessness in a general population sample of 1,389 adults. More than half of those who were hopeless at baseline remained hopeless on follow-up. When those with a mental disorder were excluded, the relative risk for stable hopelessness in unemployed men was 7.2 (95% CI 2.6-19.9), in men with a poor financial situation it was 3.5 (95% CI 1.3-9.3), and in women with a poor financial situation it was 3.8 (95% CI 1.5-9.4). Awareness of the stability of hopelessness offers us newpossibilities in preventative and mental health work.