The relationships between quality of life, psychiatric illness, and suicidal ideation in geriatric veterans living in a veterans' home: A structural equation modeling approach
Journal
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Journal Volume
19
Journal Issue
6
Pages
597-601
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Chen W.-J.
Chen C.-C.
Ho C.-K.
Chou F.H.-C.
MING-BEEN LEE
Lung F.
Lin G.-G.
Teng C.-Y.
Chung Y.-T.
Wang Y.-C.
Sun F.-C.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study tested a structural model and examined the relationships between age, suicidal ideation, and scores on the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-12 (MOS SF-12) in a sample of veterans' home residents. METHODS: Of the 266 individuals recruited, 226 completed the questionnaires, resulting in a response rate of 84.9%. Participants completed the BSRS-5, GDS-15, MOS SF-12, and a demographic survey. Analysis of Moment Structures, Version 7.0, was used to test the structural relationships of the model with a structural equation modeling analysis and a maximum likelihood ratio estimation. Patient subitem scores, which ranked their feelings of depression, hostility, and inferiority, were summed to determine their 3-BSRS-subitem sum scores. RESULTS: The measures of model fitness were as follows: goodness-of-fit (χ2 = 12.03, df = 7, p = 0.1), goodness-of-fit index (0.98), adjusted goodness-of-fit index (0.95), comparative fit index (0.99), parsimony ratio (0.47), and root mean square error of approximation (0.06). All indices suggested that the final model fit the data well. Age was inversely related to physical component summary, which was inversely related to the 3-BSRS-subitem sum score. Mental component summary was inversely related to the 3-BSRS-subitem sum score and the GDS-15. Physical component summary was inversely related to the GDS-15. The 3-BSRS-subitem sum score correlated with suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: The data reveal a significant relationship between quality of life and suicidal ideation, which may be affected more by the 3-BSRS-subitem sum score than by the GDS-15. The proposed model has the potential to help healthcare professionals effectively design and implement their suicide prevention programs. ? 2011 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Subjects
15-item Geriatric Depression Scale; 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale; quality of life; Short Form-12; Veteran
SDGs
Other Subjects
age; aged; article; brief symptom rating scale; Geriatric Depression Scale; human; major clinical study; male; maximum likelihood method; medical outcome study; mental disease; psychologic test; quality of life; rating scale; structural equation modeling; suicidal ideation; veteran
Type
journal article