Risk Factors for Late-Life Suicide Article Critique In the article by Turvey, Conwell, Jones, Phillips, Simonsick, Pearson, & Wallace, (2002), titled Risk factors for late-life suicide: a prospective, community-based study, the authors wanted to know what some of the risk factors for suicide in adults ages 65 and older. They performed a 10-year long study on 14,456 individuals that met the researchers criteria to see if any particular risk factors could be identified. This is an article critique of that article.
Study Design In the article by Turvey, Conwell, Jones, Phillips, Simonsick, Pearson, & Wallace, was published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, in the July- August addition in 2002. This is a credible journal for the publication of this study since the study is about geriatrics in the psychology of why they commit suicide late in life. While the publication date is greater than 10 years, the …show more content…
Depression was that biggest risk factor for late-life suicide and with each symptom of depression that the participant reported their risk for suicide increased by 34%. Since that number of suicides was low in the sample the study has a low statistical power. The researchers did state that the study was better at identifying long-term risk factors instead of specific triggers. The p value was provided for the differences in the control group and intervention group and listed in tables provided in the article. Overall there was no significance but this was most likely due to the low number of suicide for the population size causing limits for the study. The confidence intervals were also provided in these tables. For the confidence interval there was a large range for something’s but overall it was a small interval. Bias that may have affected the study are, selection bias and attrition
Study Design In the article by Turvey, Conwell, Jones, Phillips, Simonsick, Pearson, & Wallace, was published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, in the July- August addition in 2002. This is a credible journal for the publication of this study since the study is about geriatrics in the psychology of why they commit suicide late in life. While the publication date is greater than 10 years, the …show more content…
Depression was that biggest risk factor for late-life suicide and with each symptom of depression that the participant reported their risk for suicide increased by 34%. Since that number of suicides was low in the sample the study has a low statistical power. The researchers did state that the study was better at identifying long-term risk factors instead of specific triggers. The p value was provided for the differences in the control group and intervention group and listed in tables provided in the article. Overall there was no significance but this was most likely due to the low number of suicide for the population size causing limits for the study. The confidence intervals were also provided in these tables. For the confidence interval there was a large range for something’s but overall it was a small interval. Bias that may have affected the study are, selection bias and attrition