Recognition on suicidal intent of the elderly among caregivers: A Q-methodological application

Abstract

Purpose: This study's purpose is to classify and analyze caregivers' recognition of the elderly suicidal intents. Methods: This study uses applied Q-methodology to measure human subjectivity in depth. Concretely, 35 statements are composed in depth interviews and literature investigation. Then, Q-cards and distributive chart of Q-sampling were given to 25 caregivers randomly-selected, who were asked to arrange them on a 7-score based. After coding Q-factor analysis is carried out with the PC-QUANL program. Results: Four types of indicators of the elderly suicidal intents were identified by the caregivers. These are Knowledge-based recognition, Behavioral measure based recognition, Negative comprehension and Sympathy. Conclusion: In this study, four types of recognition were yielded among the caregivers and the characteristics of each type were analyzed. These findings may be useful in assessing suicidal potential and nursing interventions.