title: The relationships between quality of life, psychiatric illness, and suicidal ideation in geriatric veterans living in a veterans' home: a structural equation modeling approach.
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 (χ = 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.
authors: Kai-Suan Psychiatric Hospital, Meiho Institute of Technology, Kaohsiung Suicide Prevention Center, Taiwan.
authors: Wei-Jen
authors: WJ
authors: Chen
authors: Cheng-Chung
authors: CC
authors: Chen
authors: Chi-Kung
authors: CK
authors: Ho
authors: Frank Huang-Chih
authors: FH
authors: Chou
authors: Ming-Been
authors: MB
authors: Lee
authors: Forwey
authors: F
authors: Lung
authors: Guei-Ging
authors: GG
authors: Lin
authors: Ching-Yun
authors: CY
authors: Teng
authors: Yi-Ting
authors: YT
authors: Chung
authors: Ying-Chuan
authors: YC
authors: Wang
authors: Feng-Ching
authors: FC
authors: Sun