Transcript Chapter 14: Psychological Diagnosis and Disorders

• Depression and Suicide
• What do you know?
• What do you want to know?
Scenario:
Fred is your roommate. Lately, he has been
sleeping a lot more, feeling down, and
pulling away from others. He makes
statements like “it would be better if I
wasn’t here” and “I don’t care about
anything anymore.”
1. What is wrong with Fred?
2. How would you handle this situation?
3. What if he has a plan?
Depression Facts
1. 3rd most common disorder
2. 1 in 5 people will suffer an MDD episode across
the lifetime
3. Almost twice as common in women
4. Costs businesses an estimated $33 billion in
salary productivity per year
5. Most common in young adults and older adults
6. Expressed differently by culture and age
• E.g., Chinese – somatic complaints
• E.g, Children – anger/irritability
Major Depressive Disorder
Two weeks of 5 or more of the following:
1. Depressed mood and/or
2. Loss of interest
3. Weight loss or gain
4. Insomnia or hypersomnia
5. Psychomotor agitation or retardation (e.g.,
restless)
6. Loss of energy
7. Worthlessness/guilt
8. Concentration/indecision
9. Recurrent thoughts of death
Dysthymia
Two or more of the following are present or at
least 2 years:
1. Poor appetite or overeating
2. Insomnia or hypersomnia
3. Low energy
4. Low Self-esteem
5. Poor concentration/indecision
6. Feelings of hopelessness
- MDD episode cannot be present in these 2
years
Differences between MDD and
Dysthymia
1. Intensity
2. Time requirements
3. Symptom presentation
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Thoughts of death
Weight issues
psychomotor effects
4. Presentation for treatment
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MDD more likely
Warning signs
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1. Changes in activity level
2. Physical changes (e.g., weight)
3. Emotional pain
4. Mood change (e.g., irritable, down, selfcritical)
• 5. Changes in thought patterns
(concentration, decision making)
• 6. Thoughts/mention of death
Activity Time!!!!
• Take out a piece of paper and answer “True” or
“False” for the following statements
• 1. Suicide is less common than murder.
• 2. We should be gentle or tentative when
approaching someone we think may be suicidal.
• 3. Once someone is intent on committing suicide,
there is no way to stop them.
• 4. Psychologists and psychiatrists are the only
people who can help someone who is suicidal.
• 5. Suicidal people are only seeking attention.
Suicide Facts
1. 7th or 8th leading cause of death overall in the last
decade
2. 2nd or 3rd leading cause of death for adolescents
and young adults
3. Most prevalent in adolescents and older adults
4. Twice as common in college students than noncollege counterparts
5. Accounts for about 30,000 deaths annually
6. Women more likely to attempt, men more likely
to complete
7. Suicidal thoughts and attempts difficult to count
Associated Risk Factors/Causes
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1. Mood disorder
2. Gender
3. Negative Life Event
4. Neuroticism
5. Low self-esteem
6. Low social support
7. Personality Disorder
**Most likely completed when mood is
improving
Warning Signs
1. Talking about dying
2. Recent loss
3. Depressive symptoms
4. Talking about loss of control/harming self
or others
5. Withdrawal from relationships
6. Hopelessness
7. Previous attempt**
8. “Finalizing behavior” (e.g., Giving things
away, tying up relationships, making out
wills)
What should you do to help?
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1. Educate yourself on warning signs
2. Be direct
3. NEVER leave the person alone
4. Assess immediacy of threat – plan and means?
Remove if needed
• 5. GET HELP!!!
– University Counseling Center
• 348-3863
– University Psychological Clinic
• 348-5000
– 1-800-273-TALK
– DIAL 911
A helping hand for Fred…
Recall that Fred has
exhibited depressive
symptoms and talked
about death. How
might you go about
helping him?