The validity of proxy-based data in suicide research: a study of patients 50 years of age and older who attempted suicide. II. Life events, social support, and suicidal behavior
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Objective: To investigate the validity of proxy respondent reports of stressful life events, social support and suicidal behavior among individuals who attempted suicide. Method: Subjects were 80 psychiatric in‐patients admitted following a suicide attempt. Data based on structured interviews with proxy respondents were compared with data based on interviews with subjects (gold standard). Results: Specificity was higher than sensitivity across life event categories, and agreement was substantial for public and observable events (e.g. parent's death) but lower for more ambiguous events. Proxies were good judges of subject reports of frequency of social interaction but not perceived emotional support. Proxies were good judges of past history of suicide attempts and level of suicidal intent. Conclusion: Results support proxy‐based data on suicidal behavior and certain aspects of social support and stressful life events in research of suicidal behavior in this age group, with potential implications for interpreting postmortem research of completed suicide.
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- Authors
- Conner, K. R., Conwell, Y., & Duberstein, P. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Rochester Medicine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Conner, Kenneth R.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2001-12
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 452-457
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W1964056355
- Cited by
- 115
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 5.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (K23AA000318)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Keywords
- proxy reports, suicide attempts, older adults, life events, social support, suicidal behavior, proxy validity, suicide attempt history, suicidal intent, psychiatric inpatients
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Data Collection, Family Relations, Female, Humans, Interview, Psychological, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Research, Social Support, Suicide, Attempted, Proxy
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