Suicide Flashcards
What are the 4 biggest risk factors for a patient to commit suicide in the near future?
anxiety, panic attacks, agitation and insomnia
What are the 3 corners of the risk triad?
ideation, intention and plan
What is the risk triad?
Identifies the level of risk of a patient committing suicide (low, medium, high)
What type of health problem is almost always the cause of suicide?
mental illness (particularly depression)
In which age group is suicide the 3rd leading cause of death?
adolescents (15-19
At what age in adulthood does the risk of suicide increase substantially?
after 55
What is the trend in suicide risk for the elderly in males vs females?
decreased risk for females, increased risk for males
Do elderly people tend to attempt suicide more or less often than younger people?
less often, but are generally more succcessful
Do females attempt suicide more or less often than males?
more often (4x as much), but males are 3x more likely to succeed than females because they tend to use more violent means
Which ethnicity has lower suicide rates; african americans or white americans?
african americans
Do immigrants usually have a higher or lower rate of suicide?
higher-both here and in their native countries
How does marital status effect suicide rates?
- lower rates if married and also if children are in home
- higher if separated, divorced or widowed
Are divorced men or divorced women more likely to commit suicide?
divorced men
What is an anniversary suicide?
person commits suicide on the day a family member did (can also be on anniversaries of marriages/divorces etc..)
In which religions are suicide rates lower and why?
catholic and islamic-because the religion prohibit suicide
Is suicide higher in employed professionals or employed non-professionals?
employed professionals
Which professionals have even higher risks of suicide and why?
physicians, veterinarians, dentists-access to Rx
police officers-access to guns
In unemployed vs employed which has a higher risk of suicide?
unemployed
Which specialties in medicine have the highest risk of suicide?
1) Psychiatry
2) Ophthalmologists
3) Anesthesiologists
* *higher in women than men also**
What else do physicians who commit suicide usually have going on and how does it usually occur?
- usually have mental disorder (depression and/or substance abuse)
- usually by substance overdose
Which of the following put a patient at increased risk for suicide: substance abuse, aggressive and impulsive behavior, Family history of suicide, peer history, december/holiday periods
All put the patient at increased risk of suicide except december/holiday periods; spring and fall actually have increased rates of suicide
Which 2 mental illnesses account for most suicides?
depression and schizophrenia
Which gene polymorphism conveys poor resilience, putting the patient at an increased risk for suicide?
SERT gene-ss genotype
-codes for the serotonin receptor
What is a victim precipitated homicide?
using others (usually police) to kill oneself (ex: police killing person in self defense because they are threatening to kill the police)
