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The Practical Recognition of Depressive and Suicidal States
- MATHEW ROSS, M.D., F.A.C.P.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Mathew Ross, M.D., 333 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02167.
Excerpt
Of the various medical emergencies that confront today's physician, undoubtedly the most challenging are the psychiatric. The most prevalent of the psychiatric emergency situations are alcoholism, agitated psychotic behavior, and suicidal behavior (1). The first two are fairly readily recognizable and their immediate management a good deal more straightforward than the suicidal behavior, which may or may not be associated with alcoholism, psychosis, or both, and which all too often is the outcome of a depressed state.
SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM STATISTICS
Every physician can do a great deal more than he is already doing to reduce the shocking rate
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Summario in Interlingua
Le medico individual pote facer multo plus que lo que ille jam face pro reducer le shocking cifras de incidentia de suicidios. Il existe evidentia probatori a indicar que disturbate subjectos suffrente de morbos emotional se adressa in lor cerca pro adjuta primo e le plus frequentemente a lor medicos, postea a lor pastores e prestres, e in le tertie linea a psychologos e psychiatros. Per contrasto con previemente mantenite sed erronee conceptiones, pauc personas committee suicidio sin revelar lor intention. Un significativissime numero del individuos qui succede in suicidar se esseva sub tractamento medical durante le ultime periodo de lor vita, lo que indica que a un certe grado le medicos es generalmente minus astute, vigile, e penetrante in lor evalutationes diagnostic e le subsequente tractamento que lo que on poterea sperar.
Un frequente precursor de suicidio es un stato depressive, frequentissimemente presentante se sub un masca de disordine somatic. Iste equivalentes somatic de depression es prestemente verificabile in le curso del routinari processo diagnostic como illo es empleate per le medicos in omne partes del mundo. Remane, nonobstante, le necessitate que le medico es vigile e ben familiar con iste physiognomia somatic de depression in le qual on pote notar como major aspectos alterationes del functiones biologic fundamental, specialmente sub le forma de (1) un perdita del sensation de ben-esser, (2) un senso de fatiga, (3) un modification del routine de dormir, particularmente con le aspecto de eveliamento matutinalissime, (4) le perdita del qualitate refrescante del somnio, (5) le perdita de appetito e peso, (6) gravamines gastro-intestinal, typicamente constipation, e (7) un declino del interesse sexual.
Il existe etiam subjectos qui exprime lor subjacente condition emotional in le sphera del comportamento social, i.e., illes committe suicidio social. Le perspicace medico, per exemplo, recognosce que alcoholismo—le systematic biber del ego ad in ruina e morte, vitro post vitro—es in multe casos de natura vermente suicidal. Ille prende alora le appropriate mesuras. Promiscuitate e extravagantias sexual constitue un altere typo de suicidio social. Le fumar es etiam a listar hic.
Le tractamento include (1) un ample supporto emotional, (2) pharmacos anti depression, e (3) intense e extense psychotherapia psychodynamic. In casos de statos de agitation e de depression involutional, electrotherapia pote salvar le vita del patiente.
Article and Author Information
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From the McLean Division, The Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
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- Received February 4, 1966.
- Accepted February 7, 1966.
