Patients being treated with anti-depressants should be observed closely for clinical worsening and suicidilality; especially at the beginning of a course of drug therapy,or at the time of drug therapy or at the time of dose change when increased or decreased. Both psychiatric and non psychiatric, should be alerted about the need to monitor the patients for emergene of agitation, irritabbility, and other symptoms,as well as the emergence of suicidality, and to report such symptoms immediately to health care providers.
FACTS
1) More people die from suicide than from homicide.
2) Sucide rates among the elderly are highest for those who are divorced or widowed.
3) For young people 15-24 years old suicide is the third leading cause of death.
4) 80 % of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully.
Bush signed the youth suicide prevention bill .
COMMOM MISCONCEPTIONS
1)"People who talk about suicide wont really do it"
almost everyone who commits or attempts suicide has given some clue or warning. statements like "youll be sorry when im dead" "i cant see any way out" no matter how jokingly or casually said may indicate serious suicidal feelings.
2) "Anyone who tries to kill him/herself must be crazy"
most suicidal people are not psychotic or insane. They must be upset, grief stricken , despairing
3) "If a person is determined to kill him/herself , nothing is going to stop him.herself."
even the most severly depressed person has mixed feelings about death Most suicidal people do not want to commit suicide they want the pain to stop .
4) "People who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to see help" Studies of suicide victims have shown that more then half had sought medical help before their deaths.
5) "Talking about suicide may give someone the idea"
You dont give a suicidal person morbid ideas by talking about suicide. The opposite is bringing up the subject of suicide and discussing it openly is one of the most helpful thing to do .
bravenet.com