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Environmental factors in suicide in long-term care facilities
1Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|January 1, 1992
Summary
This study identified key environmental factors linked to suicide in long-term care facilities. Higher staff turnover and larger facility size correlated with increased suicide rates and deaths.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Suicide presents a significant concern within long-term care settings.
- Understanding environmental influences is crucial for suicide prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific environmental characteristics associated with suicidal behavior and deaths in long-term care facilities.
- To inform targeted interventions for reducing suicide risk in these vulnerable populations.
Main Methods:
- A national survey was distributed to administrators of 1,080 randomly selected long-term care facilities.
- Data collected included facility characteristics, suicide incidents, and intentional life-threatening behaviors.
- Chi-square analyses were employed to determine statistical relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Four environmental factors were significantly related to suicidal behavior and deaths: staff turnover, facility size, auspices (religious/other vs. public/private), and per diem cost.
- Larger facilities and those with higher staff turnover exhibited increased suicide occurrences.
- Facilities with lower per diem costs and religious or "other" auspices reported more suicide deaths.
Conclusions:
- Environmental factors such as staff turnover, facility size, auspices, and cost are significant correlates of suicide in long-term care.
- These findings underscore the need for facility-level assessments and targeted suicide prevention efforts.
- Future research should explore causal pathways and effective interventions based on these identified environmental risk factors.