Chapter 25: Suicide

Question 1

Suicide:

Answer 1

Intentional act of killing oneself by any
means

Question 2

Suicidal ideation:

Answer 2

Thinking about killing oneself

Question 3

Completed suicide:

Answer 3

Suicide successfully
resulting in death

Question 4

Nonsuicidal self-injury:

Answer 4

Self-injury directed to
the surface of the body to induce relief from a
negative feeling/cognitive state or to achieve a
positive mood state

Question 5

Suicide Risk Factors

Answer 5

 Psychiatric disorders
 Alcohol or substance use disorders
 Male gender
 Increasing age
 Race (85%–90% Caucasians)
 No Religion
 No Marriage
 Stressful Profession
 Bad Physical health
 Familial tendency
 Lowered SKA2 gene expression
 Low serotonin levels

Question 6

Psychosocial Factors

Answer 6

 Aaron Beck—central emotional factor is
hopelessness
 Diathesis-stress model—combination of suicidal
fantasies and significant loss
 Copycat suicides

Question 7

How do you get assisted suicide in the US

Answer 7

terminal Dx, mental status screenings, have to self administer

Question 8

• Overt statements

Answer 8

I will hurt myself if you discharge me today. No additional questions/explanation needed

Question 9

• Covert statements

Answer 9

Sound like it, but I need to ask more questions to be sure. “i won’t be a problem much longer”. “I don’t know how much longer I can deal with this”.