title: Family connectedness moderates the association between living alone and suicide ideation in a clinical sample of adults 50 years and older.
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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient and outpatient mental health services in Rochester, New York.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 130-mood-disordered inpatients and outpatients 50 years and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  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(2)[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(2)[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.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Bonnie
authors: B
authors: Purcell
authors: Marnin J
authors: MJ
authors: Heisel
authors: Jenny
authors: J
authors: Speice
authors: Nathan
authors: N
authors: Franus
authors: Yeates
authors: Y
authors: Conwell
authors: Paul R
authors: PR
authors: Duberstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010045:Outpatients; D012934:Social Isolation; D059020:Suicidal Ideation