EVALUATING AN INTERVENTION FOR THE ELDERLY AT INCREASED RISK OF SUICIDE

This article presents an evaluation of Link-Plus, a social work servic e provided over the telephone under the auspices of a suicide preventi on hot line agency. The program targets the elderly at increased risk of suicide by virtue of depression, social isolation, and unmet needs, A two-group pretest-posttest design with randomization was used to re st its effectiveness. After receiving standard crisis intervention, 31 participants provided a wait-list control group, whereas; 30 particip ants received immediate treatment At 4 months, 4 months, months, the a mount of social contact was improved, and there war a trend toward the reduction of depressive symptomatology. At an 8-month observation, th e difference between the clients' pretest scores and posttest scores o n unmet needs was marginally significant, with clients having fewer un met needs after receiving services. This outreach strategy and telepho ne intervention is moderately effective in treating older adults with depressive symptomatology, social isolation, and unmet needs.