Suicide Flashcards
What 3 symptoms/mental states are common in people who suicide?
1) Hopelessness
2) Helplessness
3) Impulsivity
What are the major risk factors for suicide?
The main risk factor is previous attempt.
The next risk factor is mental illness (depression, bipolar, etc.)
Medical problems are associated with an increased risk, but not nearly as often outside of either a mental illness or substance abuse
T or F?
People on dialysis are just as likely as anyone else to commit suicide
False
The risk of suicide among patients with renal disease is 3x higher within the first 3 months of dialysis.
After dialysis they tend to feel better and those statistics drop
Why is it easy to diagnose suicide in every day practice?
It’s NOT!
That’s why you have to ask!!
What matters most is that you ask, not how you ask.
Someone is depressed. What mental state is most associated with that?
a) Hopelessness
b) Helplessness
c) Impulsivity
Hopelessness
T or F?
It’s actually not the health issues that make people with ESRD (end stage renal disease), CV disease, etc. more prone to suicide?
True
It’s actually often mental illness that accompanies those diseases (depression, bipolar disorder, etc.) that makes the person more prone to suicide.
What demographic is suicide most likely to occur in?
Older white males.
Males in general, but rates get higher as you get older.
*a divorced, older man who lives alone in the mountains and drinks lots of alcohol while smoking pot is a major red flag.
A patient presents with decreased cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. What should you be thinking of?
This is associated with an increased risk of violence and suicide.
People with suicidal thoughts are most likely to present to their physician with what symptoms?
A) Rambling about suicide
B) Somatic complaints
C) Diagnosis of acute illness
B) Somatic complaints.
That’s why it’s so important to ask about suicide, because they won’t come wearing it on their sleeves.
T or F?
25% of people who commit suicide have seen their physician within the past month.
False.
It’s actually 50%.
Half of those who die by overdoes received a lethal prescription within the past week!
