Future Orientation and Suicide Ideation and Attempts in Depressed Adults Ages 50 and Over

The hypothesis that future orientation is associated with lower levels of suicide ideation & lower likelihood of suicide attempt was tested in a sample of 202 patients in treatment for major depression. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate logistic regression & linear regression analyses that accounted for age, gender, hopelessness, & depression. As hypothesized, higher future orientation scores were associated with lower current suicide ideation, less intense suicide ideation at its worst point, & lower probability of a history of attempted suicide after accounting for covariates. Future orientation was not associated with current attempt status. (61 refs.) JA