@article{ref1,
title="Family Connectedness Moderates the Association Between Living Alone and Suicide Ideation in a Clinical Sample of Adults 50 Years and Older",
journal="American journal of geriatric psychiatry",
year="2012",
author="Purcell, Bonnie and Heisel, Marnin J. and Speice, Jenny and Franus, Nathan and Conwell, Yeates and Duberstein, Paul R.",
volume="20",
number="8",
pages="717-723",
abstract="OBJECTIVE:: To investigate whether living alone is significantly associated with expression of suicide ideation among mood-disordered mental health patients and whether degree of family connectedness moderates the association between living alone and expression of suicide ideation. DESIGN:: Cross-sectional survey design. SETTING:: Inpatient and outpatient mental health services in Rochester, New York. PARTICIPANTS:: A total of 130-mood-disordered inpatients and outpatients 50 years and older. MEASUREMENTS:: Patients completed a demographics form, an interviewer-rated measure of current suicide ideation (Scale for Suicide Ideation), and a self-report measure of family connectedness derived from the Reasons for Living Scale-Older Adult version. RESULTS:: Patients who reported greater family connectedness were significantly less likely to report suicide ideation; this protective effect was strongest for those living with others (Wald χ[df = 1] = 3.987, p = 0.046, OR = 0.905; 95% CI = 0.821-0.998). A significant main effect of family connectedness on suicide ideation suggested that having a stronger connection to family members decreased the likelihood of reporting suicide ideation (Wald χ[df = 1] = 9.730, p = 0.002, OR = 0.852; 95% CI = 0.771-0.942). CONCLUSIONS:: These results suggest potential value in assessing the quality of interpersonal relationships when conducting a suicide risk assessment among depressed middle-aged and older adults.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1064-7481",
doi="10.1097/JGP.0b013e31822ccd79",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e31822ccd79"
}