ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Suicidal behaviours are internationally considered as a serious health problem and, consequently, considerable efforts are being made in the search for factors related with this behaviour. OBJECTIVES: To determine if there are any differences between those who attempted suicide and those with suicidal ideation. PATIENTS AND METHOD: During 1997-98, we interviewed a total of 134 patients hospitalised due to attempted suicide (n = 49), suicidal ideation (n = 38), and a control group made up of other psychiatric patients (n = 47) in the Psychiatric Unit of the Hospital de Jove (Gijón). All patients completed the "Protocol for Investigation of Suicidal Behaviour" which contains different sociodemographic and clinical variables, and the Scale for Suicide Ideation, Hopelessness Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Adult form. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in sociodemographic or clinical variables between the suicidal ideation and attempted suicide groups. Only the intensity of hopelessness as measured on the Beck scale (greater in the suicidal ideation group) and emotional instability in females (also greater in the suicidal ideation group) are the variables which differentiate those who present suicidal ideation and those who attempt suicide.
Subject(s)
Suicide/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Mental Disorders/psychology , Sex Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Spain/epidemiology , Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Suicide, Attempted/psychology , Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data , ThinkingABSTRACT
Introducción: Las conductas suicidas son consideradas, a nivel internacional, un grave problema de salud, y por ello se multiplican los trabajos encaminados a la búsqueda de factores que puedan influir en las mismas. Objetivos: Determinar si existen diferencias entre los pacientes que realizan un acto suicida y aquellos que sólo lo manifiestan como intención. Pacientes y método: Durante los años 1997-98 se entrevistó a un total 134 pacientes ingresados en la unidad de Psiquiatría del Hospital de Jove (Gijón), por tentativa de suicidio (n= 49), ideación suicida (n= 38) y otros trastornos psiquiátricos -grupo control- (n= 47). Todos los pacientes cumplimentaron un 'Protocolo de Investigación de la Conducta Suicida', con diversas variables sociodemográficas y clínicas, además de las Escalas de Ideación Suicida, Escala de Desesperanza, Escala de Hamilton para la Depresión y Cuestionario de Personalidad de Eysenck-Versión de Adultos. Resultados: No se encontraron diferencias significativas, entre los grupos de ideación y tentativa, en las variables sociodemográficas o clínicas estudiadas. Ambos grupos (ideación y tentativa) sólo se diferencian en la intensidad de la desesperanza, medida a través de la escala de Beck (mayor en el grupo de ideación) y la inestabilidad emocional, en el sexo femenino (mayor también en el grupo de ideación). (AU)
Subject(s)
Male , Female , Humans , Suicide, Attempted , Sex Factors , Suicide , Socioeconomic Factors , Spain , Thinking , Case-Control Studies , Mental DisordersABSTRACT
Since the introduction of benzodiacepines in the medical practice their use has been generalized to numerous clinical situations. One of them is schizophrenia. In this article we analize the main settings for its use and the possible mechanisms of action, trying to draw some recomendations applicable to the psychiatric practice.
Subject(s)
Benzodiazepines/therapeutic use , Schizophrenia/drug therapy , HumansABSTRACT
The aim of the present study is the analysis of the family characteristics associated with suicide attempts among adolescents. Subjects were 54 adolescents aged 13-18 referred to hospital after a suicide attempt and 108 normal comparison adolescents. A case-control study design has been used and they have been matched by age, sex and socioeconomic status. Differences between groups are reported as Odds Ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval. The results in Odds Ratio are as follows: parental losses (OR = 19.00), mental illness in father (OR = 8.67), mental illness in mother (OR = 6.79), mental illness among brothers and sisters (OR = 3.28), poor membership relations (OR = 3.00), not living with both biological parents (OR = 8.06) and unsatisfactory familial adaptation (OR = 7.50). In conclusion, our findings highlight the importance of the familial risk factors and its implications to develop preventive programs for youngs at risk.
Subject(s)
Family/psychology , Psychology, Adolescent , Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adolescent Behavior , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
In the last decades a notorious increase in suicidal behaviors has been observed in youth. It has become an international health problem which justifies all prevention initiatives that are put forward in some western countries. The authors, given their experience in assessing and treating suicidal youth, design a prevention program addressed to suicidal risk groups, and whose aim is to curb down suicidal rates among adolescents in their Sanitary Area. This program applied in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center is structured in five levels: Assessing, initial treatment, therapeutical intervention in the medium and long run, other interventions in the community, and evolution.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior , Suicide Prevention , Adolescent , HumansSubject(s)
Lorazepam/therapeutic use , Schizophrenia, Catatonic/drug therapy , Adult , Female , HumansABSTRACT
The most recent medical literature has emphasized the notion that catatonia is a syndrome rather than a disease and, on this basis it is associated with a wide variety of medical, neurological and psychiatric conditions. The authors report on five cases of catatonic patients with a favorable response to Lorazepam and analyze the possible mechanisms of action of this Benzodiazepine in catatonic syndrome.
Subject(s)
Catatonia/drug therapy , Lorazepam/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Catatonia/diagnosis , Catatonia/therapy , Combined Modality Therapy , Electroconvulsive Therapy , Female , Humans , Lorazepam/administration & dosage , Lorazepam/pharmacology , Male , Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Temporal Lobe/drug effectsABSTRACT
Delusion of parasitosis is an unshakeable conviction that small organisms or parasites infest the body even though there is no confirmative physical evidence. Since 1938, when K.A. Ekbom described and named "Dermatozoenwahn" for the first time, this clinical feature has focussed the interest of researchers due to the uncertainty on its nosologic classification. We report three cases of delusions of parasitosis in patients who suffered from schizophrenia, monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis and major depression with psychotic features respectively. We throw into relief the essential aspects of aetiology, treatment and nosologic classification of the syndrome.
