The suitability of the BSRS-5 for assessing elderly who have attempted suicide and need to be referred for professional mental health consultation in a metropolitan city, Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
The goals of this study are to (1) investigate the prevalence of necessary referral for professional mental health consultation for elderly people who attempted suicide ("suicide-attempted") in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan during 2006-2007, (2) assess whether the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) can be used as an efficient screening instrument for assessing the probability of a second suicide attempt among the elderly, and (3) examine predictors of needing referral among the suicide-attempted.


METHODS
During the study period, 144 suicide-attempted elderly subjects were enrolled. Demographic data, BSRS-5, SAD PERSONS scale, and Medical Outcome Study Short Form-12 (MOS SF-12) data were collected by a trained semi-professional. The prevalence of necessary referrals for the suicide-attempted elderly was estimated, and the salient factors for their referral were evaluated with logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
A total of 109 participants out of the 144 recruited completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 75.7%. The prevalence of necessary referrals for professional mental health consultation was 33.9% (37/109). The significant predictors of needing referrals were lower scores for MCS (OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.83-0.96), family discord (OR = 3.86; 95% CI = 1.17-12.75), and type of interviewee (OR = 4.97; 95% CI = 1.57-15.74).


CONCLUSIONS
When the BSRS-5 is used to evaluate the referral of elderly patients who have attempted suicide for a professional mental health consultation, it is best to conduct in-person interviews to ask whether the elderly patient still has any suicidal ideation. In addition, evaluating quality of life and level of family discord may also be crucial for suicide prevention in the elderly.
Chen
Wei-Jen
WJ
Kai-Suan Psychiatric Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen
Cheng-Chung
CC
Ho
Chi-Kung
CK
Lee
Ming-Been
MB
Chung
Yi-Ting
YT
Wang
Ying-Chuan
YC
Lin
Guei-Ging
GG
Lu
Ren-yi
RY
Sun
Feng-Ching
FC
Chou
Frank Huang-Chih
FH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D014505:Urban Population