title: Factors associated with quality of life after attempted suicide: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe factors associated with the subjective quality of life of individuals who had attempted suicide.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although quality of life has been a focus of concern in mental health care, data are lacking on what life is like and what factors are related to an individual's quality of life after a suicide attempt.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants comprised a convenience sample of 103 individuals who had attempted suicide within the previous three months and received follow-up care from one suicide-prevention centre in northern Taiwan. Participants were assessed for depression and quality of life using the Beck Depression Inventory, Taiwan version and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Instrument-BREF, Taiwan version, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost half the participants (n = 49) had severe depression and one-third of them (n = 30) reattempted suicide while receiving follow-up care. Depression and quality-of-life scores were statistically significantly inversely correlated. participants' quality-of-life scores were most associated with their depressive level, reattempting suicide during suicidal follow-up care, high educational level and older age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study indicates that factors associated with quality of life decreased more in individuals with moderate/severe depression than in those with mild depression. In addition, individuals who reattempted suicide during follow-up care were more likely to suffer from poor life quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental health professionals should include frequent evaluation of depressive status and quality of life in follow-up care for patients who have recently attempted suicide. Particularly, mental health professionals must treat suicidal individuals with a high tendency to reattempt suicide by establishing trust with them and allowing them to narrate their painful experiences during follow-up care.
authors: Department of Health, Taoyuan Mental Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Shu-May
authors: SM
authors: Wang
authors: Yu-Ching
authors: YC
authors: Chou
authors: Mei-Yu
authors: MY
authors: Yeh
authors: Chih-Hao
authors: CH
authors: Chen
authors: Wen-Chii
authors: WC
authors: Tzeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Taiwan; attempted suicide; community care; depression; quality of life