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Validity and utility of the Japanese version of the WHO-Five Well-Being Index in the context of detecting suicidal ideation in elderly community residents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2006

S. Awata ,
P. Bech ,
Y. Koizumi ,
T. Seki ,
S. Kuriyama ,
A. Hozawa ,
K. Ohmori ,
N. Nakaya ,
H. Matsuoka  and
I. Tsuji
S. Awata
Affiliation:
Division of Neuropsychiatry and Center for Dementia, Sendai City Hospital, Japan
P. Bech
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Research Unit, WHO Collaborating Centre in Mental Health, Fredriksborg General Hospital, Denmark
Y. Koizumi
Affiliation:
Division of Neuropsychiatry and Center for Dementia, Sendai City Hospital, Japan Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
T. Seki
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
S. Kuriyama
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
A. Hozawa
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan Division of Epidemiology & Community Health School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, USA
K. Ohmori
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
N. Nakaya
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
H. Matsuoka
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
I. Tsuji
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
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Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity and the utility of the Japanese version of the WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5-J) in the context of detecting suicidal ideation in elderly community residents.

Methods: A sample of 696 subjects aged 70 years or over who completed a set of questionnaires was examined.

Results: Cronbach's α was 0.87 and Loevinger's coefficient was 0.64. The total score was significantly correlated with the number of cohabitants, the number of physical illnesses, physical functioning, instrumental activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms. Subjects with suicidal ideation had significantly lower scores on the WHO-5-J. The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the scale significantly discriminated the subjects with suicidal ideation. When combined with the assessment of a lack of perceived social support (PSS), a standard cut-off criterion of “a total score ≤ 12 or answering 0 or 1 to any of the five items” more appropriately identified elderly subjects with suicidal ideation: sensitivity = 87%, specificity = 75%, negative predictive value = 99%, and positive predictive value = 10%.

Conclusions: In combination with PSS, the scale has predictive utility to detect suicidal ideation in elderly community residents.

Keywords

well-beingsuicidesocial supportscreeningvaliditypredictive utilityelderly community residents
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 77 - 88
Copyright
International Psychogeriatric Association 2006

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