Objective: To examine the specific role of demographic disparities, diagnostic differences, and intrapsychic factors in the elevated suicide risk among the elderly who have schizophrenia and sub-syndromal depression.
Design: Participants include individuals who have taken part in an ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study which evaluates the efficacy of an SSRI in augmenting the effect of antipsychotics. The study follows the participants for 24 weeks and incorporates psychological, cognitive, and functional assessments. Comprehensive data has been collected on forty-nine of the study participants who are 60 years of age or older. The 49 participants represent varying races and present myriad diagnostic profiles.
Materials and Methods: In this study, the participants’ scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Beck Suicide Scale, and the Clinical Global Impression for Severity of Suicide will be analyzed. A multiple regression analysis will determine whether the following variables predict a significant portion of the variance in suicidality scores: a) hopelessness, b) gender, c) race, and d) diagnosis (schizophrenia versus schizoaffective disorder). Any relationship between hopelessness and suicidality will also be explored via Pearson product moment correlations.
Results: The results are expected to underscore the correlation between hopelessness and suicidality among the elderly with schizophrenia and subsyndromal depression. Hopelessness is hypothesized to be a significant predictor and correlate of suicidality, with Caucasian males endorsing suicidal ideation most often. Additionally, it is suggested that elderly patients with schizoaffective disorder will be more likely to endorse suicidal ideation than those with schizophrenia.
Conclusion: This study will help determine whom among the elderly with schizophrenia and sub-syndromal depression is most at risk for suicide. These findings can be particularly helpful to clinicians who intervene with this high-risk treatment group. The study results will also be of assistance to health care administrators who allocate funding for suicide prevention programs, and therefore need information about which treatment groups to target most directly.
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