Abstract
The Prediction of Suicide: Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predictive Value of a Multivariate Model Applied to Suicide Among 1906 Patients With Affective Disorders
Goldstein R B~~Black D W~~et al
An attempt was made to develop a statistical model that would predict suicide in 1906 Iowans with affective disorders admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Some of the risk factors identified using this approach were the number of prior attempts & suicidal ideation on admission. The model failed to identify any of the patients who committed suicide thus giving support to the contention that, based on present knowledge, it is not possible to predict suicide, even among a high-risk group.