
- Vol 31 No 12
- Volume 31
- Issue 12
Introduction: Risk Factors, Pharmacological Interventions, and Sequelae of Suicidal Behavior
The articles in this Special Report address suicidal behavior in the context of the role of sexual identity, the effects of antidepressants and lithium on suicidal behavior, and clinicians’ reactions in the aftermath of suicide.
Death by suicide is more common than death due to homicide or motor vehicle accidents. Indeed, the suicide rate has been increasing in the past years for which data are available. In 2010, 38,364 Americans died by suicide, surpassing the alarming 2009 toll of 36,891.1 That there are 25 suicide attempts per completed suicide underscores the magnitude of the issue.1 The lack of reduction in suicide rates may be partly because suicidal behavior is complex and heterogeneous. It can be impulsive or methodically planned, violent or not, or it can be reactive to stress or occur with no obvious stressors.2-6 This heterogeneity poses an extra challenge to identification of effective preventive measures at the individual and population levels. The articles in this Special Report address suicidal behavior in the context of the role of sexual identity, the effects of antidepressants and lithium on suicidal behavior, and clinicians’ reactions in the aftermath of suicide.
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Dr Jane G. Tillman briefly outlines management of a patient’s suicide in “
Scholarly and comprehensive, the article “
Drs Ann P. Haas and Jack Drescher address a critical but often neglected issue in suicide research or prevention efforts in “
Together, these articles span several critical issues for the management of suicide risk. We hope you find these articles useful in your work with patients at risk for suicidal behavior who may have all manner of diagnoses and present clinical challenges to safe management.
Disclosures:
Dr Oquendo is Professor and Vice Chair in Psychiatry at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York. She reports that she receives royalties for the commercial use of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and that her family owns stock in Bristol-Myers Squibb.
References:
1. US Department of Health and Human Services. Suicide: facts at a glance; 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicide-datasheet-a.PDF. Accessed November 11, 2014.
2. Bender TW, Gordon KH, Bresin K, Joiner TE Jr. Impulsivity and suicidality: the mediating role of painful and provocative experiences. J Affect Disord. 2011;129:301-307.
3. Dombrovski AY, Szanto K, Clark L, et al. Reward signals, attempted suicide, and impulsivity in late-life depression. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Aug 7; [Epub ahead of print].
4. Conner KR, Hesselbrock VM, Meldrum SC, et al. Transitions to, and correlates of, suicidal ideation, plans, and unplanned and planned suicide attempts among 3,729 men and women with alcohol dependence. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2007;68:654-662.
5. Bogdanovica I, Jiang GX, Löhr C, et al. Changes in rates, methods and characteristics of suicide attempters over a 15-year period: comparison between Stockholm, Sweden, and Würzburg, Germany. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2011;46:1103-1114.
6. Apter A, Bleich A, King RA, et al. Death without warning? A clinical postmortem study of suicide in 43 Israeli adolescent males. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993;50:138-142.
Articles in this issue
almost 11 years ago
What Role Does (Should) Lithium Play in Suicide Treatment/Prevention?almost 11 years ago
Patient Suicide: Impact on Cliniciansalmost 11 years ago
The Relationship Between Antidepressant Initiation and Suicide Riskalmost 11 years ago
Auditory Hallucinations in Adult Populationsalmost 11 years ago
Therapeutic Neurostimulation and Schizophreniaalmost 11 years ago
What Psychiatrists Should Know About Ebolaalmost 11 years ago
Compromised Confidentiality Is Harmful: Military Owes Proof to the Contraryalmost 11 years ago
Mobile Apps for Mental Healthalmost 11 years ago
The Selfie in the Digital Age: From Social Media to SextingNewsletter
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