The impact of suicidality on health-related quality of life: A latent growth curve analysis of community-based data.
The subjective burden of suicidality on mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains to be examined. Eight-year trajectories of mental and physical components of HRQoL were compared for suicidal and non-suicidal participants at baseline. The effect of poor mental and/or physical HRQoL on subsequent suicidality was also investigated.



Randomly-selected community data (W1=7485; W2=6715; W3=6133) were analysed with multivariate latent growth curve (LGC) and logistic regression models.



Adjusted LGC modelling identified that baseline ideation was associated with poorer mental, but better physical HRQoL at baseline (b=-3.93, 95% CI=-4.75 to -3.12; b=1.38, 95% CI=0.53-2.23, respectively). However, ideation was associated with a declining physical HRQoL trajectory over 8 subsequent years (b=-0.88, 95% CI=-1.42 to -0.35). Poorer mental HRQoL was associated with higher odds of ideation onset (OR=0.98, 95% CI=0.96-0.99).



Frequency of data collection was four-yearly, while suicidality was reported for the previous 12-months; analyses did not control for physical health problems at baseline, baseline depression may have influenced physical QoL; suicidality was assessed with binary measures; and, prior analyses of attrition over time showed those with poorer health were less likely to continue participating in the study.



Suicidality has differential longitudinal effects on mental and physical HRQoL. Findings emphasise the considerable subjective HRQoL burden upon suicidal individuals. HRQoL may be useful to compare relative social and economical impacts.
Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Electronic address: Kate.Fairweather-Schmidt@flinders.edu.au.
A K
AK
Fairweather-Schmidt
National Institute for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
P J
PJ
Batterham
Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
P
P
Butterworth
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
S
S
Nada-Raja
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*
Health-related quality of life; Longitudinal; Mental health; Physical health; Suicidal ideation; Suicide attempt