Verbal Threats Of Suicide Essay, Research Paper

verbal threats of suicide. So how can the physician determine when a

patient should be diagnosed as depressed or suicidal? Brown (1996)

suggested the best way to diagnose is to “screen out the vulnerable

groups of children and adolescents for the risk factors of suicide and

then refer them for treatment.” Some of these “risk factors” include

verbal signs of suicide within the last three months, prior attempts at

suicide, indication of severe mood problems, or excessive alcohol and

substance abuse.

Many physicians tend to think of depression as an illness of adulthood.

In fact, Brown (1996) stated that “it was only in the 1980’s that mood

disorders in children were included in the category of diagnosed

psychiatric illnesses.” In actuality, 7-14% of children will experience

an episode of major depression before the age of 15. An average of

20-30% of adult bipolar patients report having their first episode

before the age of 20. In a sampling of 100,000 adolescents, two to

three thousand will have mood disorders out of which 8-10 will commit

suicide (Brown, 1996). Blackman (1995) remarked that the suicide rate

for adolescents has increased more than 200% over the last decade.

Brown (1996) added that an estimated 2,000 teenagers per year commit

suicide in the United States, making it the leading cause of death after

accidents and homicide. Blackman (1995) stated that it is not uncommon

for young people to be preoccupied with issues of mortality and to

contemplate the effect their death would have on close family and

friends.

Once it has been determined that the adolescent has the disease of

depression, what can be done about it? Blackman (1995) has suggested

two main avenues to treatment: “psychotherapy and medication.” The

majority of the cases of adolescent depression are mild and can be dealt

with through several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening,

advice and encouragement. Comorbidity is not unusual in teenagers, and

possible pathology, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder,

learning disability or attention deficit hyperactive disorder, should be

searched for and treated, if present (Blackman, 1995). For the more

severe cases of depression, especially those with constant symptoms,

medication may be necessary and without pharmaceutical treatment,

depressive conditions could escalate and become fatal. Brown (1996)

added that regardless of the type of treatment chosen, “it is important

for children suffering from mood disorders to receive prompt treatment

because early onset places children at a greater risk for multiple

episodes of depression throughout their life span.”

Until recently, adolescent depression has been largely ignored by

health professionals but now several means of diagnosis and treatment

exist. Although most teenagers can successfully climb the mountain of

emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, there are

some who find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress. How can

parents and friends help out these troubled teens? And what can these

teens do about their constant and intense sad moods? With the help of

teachers, school counselors, mental health professionals, parents, and

other caring adults, the severity of a teen’s depression can not only be

accurately evaluated, but plans can be made to improve his or her

well-being and ability to fully engage life.