Citation

Fulginiti A, Brekke JS. J. Soc. Social Work Res. 2016; 7(2): 269-288.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Society for Social Work and Research, Publisher University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/686645

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Survivors of a suicide attempt are at greater risk for future suicide than those who have no history of such attempts (i.e., non-attempters), particularly in the context of schizophrenia. Although disparity between attempt survivors and non-attempters in quality of life (QoL) can potentially influence suicide risk disparity over time, no known longitudinal work has focused on QoL disparities between these groups. This study examined 2 types of QoL differences between attempt survivors and non-attempters over a 3-year period: (a) differences in levels of QoL (i.e., chronic disparity), and (b) differences in QoL change (i.e., change disparity).

METHOD: In a sample of 166 adults with schizophrenia entering community-based psychosocial rehabilitation, 2-level hierarchical linear models were used to compare attempt survivors and non-attempters on objective and subjective QoL domains over 7 waves.

RESULTS: Chronic disparity in subjective QoL between groups was observed in work (b = −0.51; 95% CI [−0.95, −0.06]), relationship (b = −1.53; 95% CI [−2.68, −0.37]) and self-present life (b = −2.04; 95% CI [−3.12, −0.95]) domains, with attempt survivors having lower QoL levels than nonattempters over time. Change disparity in objective QoL between groups was observed in the relationship domain (b = −0.23; 95% CI [−0.40, −0.07]), with attempt survivors having a lower rate of QoL change.

CONCLUSIONS: Finding chronic and change disparities between attempt survivors and non-attempters suggests that QoL disparity could reflect a distinct clinical profile for attempt survivors over time, that service delivery efforts should account for attempt status to address enduring and emerging QoL gaps, and that suicide attempt status deserves more attention in schizophrenia research. © 2016 by the Society for Social Work and Research. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Schizophrenia; Suicide attempt; Quality of life; Disparity; Hierarchical linear modeling