Suicide and the Predictions of Suicide

Suicide and the Predictions of Suicide

In the first paper I read about hopelessness and eventual suicide,

four authors studied 207 hospitalized patients with suicidal ideation.

There was a follow up period of 5-10 years when these patients were

systematically checked up on to see their status. Fourteen eventually

completed suicide within the follow up period. In the study the

researchers used the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hopelessness

Scale, and the Scale of Suicidal Ideation. The only tools that

eventually predicted the suicides were the Hopelessness Scale and the

pessimism items on the Beck Depression Inventory. This study is to

prove the importance of hopelessness as an indicator of eventual

suicide. Another study proved the extremity of suicidal attempts is

more correlated with hopelessness than depression. Hopelessness seems

to be more correlated with suicide in patients with alcohol and drug

abusers. To run the experiment, researchers administered the self

rating scale and the standardized assessment as soon as the patient

was willing and ready to take them. After being released from the

hospital, the 5-10 year follow up program begin to make certain

whether the patient was alive or dead at each contact. Out of the 207

people in the study, 14 definitely committed suicide. There we not

other differences in their background characteristics. The only

difference was seen in the Hopelessness Scale. This shows the

correlation of hopelessness to eventual suicide among ideation.

The next paper I read is controlled prospective study called Clinical

Predictors of Suicide in Patients with Major Affective Disorders. This

was wr...

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called "Treating the Depressed Suicidal Patient" Nemeroff says that it

"may be due to increased reporting and a low percentage of compliance

with anti-depressants." This would not fit into the findings in the

studies. The studies, besides the DST testing, puts most impact on

emotional wellbeing rather than Nemeroff's leaning towards human

physiology; the conflict may be due to the different samples. There

are a lot of variables involved in every aspect of our existence;

therefore many must be involved in our death. The studies show that

even though we have started to develop ways of knowing and

intercepting human destiny, we are far from uncovering the core of the

human mind and ways. According to the studies right now, I think the

Hopelessness Scale score is the greatest indicator of potential

suicide completion.