Assignment: Elderly Abuse (physical)

The current study aimed to examine the variables that contribute to clinicians’ diagnosis of mental illness in amulti- ethnic sample of Asian suicide attempters in Singapore. Based on evidence in both Western and Asian studies, analysis would be conducted on the following variables, available as part of the Suicide Risk Assessment Form, SRAF, utilized by clinicians at the emergency department of the local hospital where this study took place. The SRAF was developed by the local hospital and utilized by clinicians for collection of clin- ically relevant variables, for assessment and diagnosis, and to devise an appropriate management plan, e.g., admission to psychiatric ward or outpatient follow upwith a psychiatrist or medical social worker, or discharge. Psychometric properties were not available. Available psychosocial variables included the following risk factors: living alone [8], unemployment [29], financial problem [3], family history of suicide and psy- chopathology [37], physical illness [3], alcohol/drug use [38], and interpersonal conflict [29]. Protective factors included presence of dependents [39], emotional support [40], willing- ness to seek help [41], resolution of precipitants [42], religion [25], regret of the attempt [43], and positive future planning [44].

All available variables would be entered into the logistic regression. The available variables contained multidimen- sional variables well established in both Western and Asian studies, including the above-mentioned risk and protective factors as well as features of the attempt, e.g., planning, and precautions taken to hide the attempt [45, 46]. It was hypothesized that the model containing all available variables would be significant in distinguishing suicide attempters with and without mental illness.

BioMed Research International 3