DEPRESSION, SUICIDE AND SUICIDAL GESTURE IN MEDICAL PRACTICE*
- MILTON H. MILLER, M.D.;
- CARL H. FELLNER, M.D.; and
- NORMAN S. GREENFIELD, Ph.D.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Milton H. Miller, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Wisconsin, Madison 6, Wisconsin.
Excerpt
Mental depression affects the organism as a whole. In many ways it is a systemic illness and, like other generalized or systemic illnesses, may manifest itself in widely variable forms. The symptoms of depressed patients are by no means limited to complaints pertaining to mood, ambition, emotional despondency, etc. A depressed patient will often experience change in almost every aspect of his life. His entire world seems different; his future seems different; his body seems different; his bodily functions seem different. The depressed patient frequently presents to his physician any one of a number of somatic complaints as the primary
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Summario in Interlingua
Le evalutation del patiente deprimite es un del plus difficile problemas in le practica medical. Medicos in omne specialitates se trova de tempore a tempore confrontate con le necessitate de evalutar le grado de depression presente in un certe patiente e de estimar le periculo de suicidio. Evidentemente, un miscalculation diagnostic in iste typo de situation pote resultar in un catastrophe.
Le autores ha interprendite un revista del problemas sublevate per le patiente deprimite a intentiones suicidal. Le depression experientiate phenomenologicamente per le patiente es describite como un stato discoragiante e frequentemente pervasive ab le qual le patiente non vide ulle escappatoria. Es sublineate le facto que le intensitate e le realitate subjective del despero del patiente deprimite pote esser multo plus grande que simile emotiones in patientes qui suffe incurabilemente de un morbo somatic.
Multe deprimite patientes se presenta al medico con gravamines attribuibile a un morbo somatic. In casos in que le depression es assi associate con un morbo somatic, le medico tende a subestimar le importantia relative del depression in le symptomatologia general. Iste problema diagnostic es specialmente marcate in patientes del gruppos de etate plus avantiate ubi il es natural attribuer le symptomas del depression a conditiones del typo de hypertension, arthritis, disordines functional del intestinos, "insomnia", etc.
Le question del factores etiologic in le stato de depression es considerate ab le puncto de vista psychodynamic e ab le puncto de vista psychobiologic.
Es discutite le importantia del etate del patiente al tempore del declaration del depression como factor diagnostic e etiologic in le evalutation del depression e del intention suicidal. Depression e intention suicidal es observate a omne stadios del vita, ab le prime pueritia usque al alte vetulessa. Tamen, il existe importante differentias in le signification del symptomatologia depressive occurrente a varie periodos del vita.
Le autores sublinea le extense tendentia in le practica medical de subestimar le severitate del depression, specialmente del depression que occurre in adultos matur o vetulante.
Le thema del therapia de patientes deprimite e suicidalmente intentionate es discutite. Le importantia del interesse del medico, de su continue attention, e de un intervention opportun es sublineate.
Article and Author Information
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↵* Received for publication September 17, 1958.
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From the Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
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