Untreated depression can increase a person's risk for attempting suicide, according to allaboutdepression.com, and up to 15 percent of those who attempt suicide actually succeed in ending their lives. Understanding the relationship between suicide and depression as well as knowing the warning signs are a key way to save lives.
The Depression-Suicide Link
Approximately 90 percent of people who kill themselves have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder, according to allaboutdepression.com, making depression one of the strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in both adults and youth. This does not mean that everyone who is depressed will commit suicide. In addition to depression or another mental health disorder, a combination of other factors often exists. Other risk factors include adverse life events, exposure to suicidal behavior of others, a firearm in the home, and incarceration.
Thoughts vs. Actions
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) website states that many people who are depressed and who have other suicidal risk factors are not in fact suicidal. While they may have suicidal ideations, they don't have any plans to carry these thoughts to fruition. Severely depressed persons often lack the energy to harm themselves. In fact, mentalhelp.net claims that most depressed people who attempt suicide only do so after their depression has lifted a bit and they have gained some energy.
The Role of Serotonin
The NIMH website notes that people who attempt suicide may have insufficient levels of a the brain chemical serotonin, a neurotransmitter that works to regulate mood. The site states that decreased levels of serotonin have been found in people with depression and with a history of suicidal attempts, as well as in brain autopsies of suicide victims. Low levels of serotonin have also been identified in other psychiatric disorders, according to eNotAlone.com author Dr. Joseph M. Carver, like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder, social anxiety, and phobias.
Warning Signs
In addition to thoughts of suicide, there are other red flags where suicide and depression are concerned. According to mentalhelp.net, you should be on the lookout for excessive changes in appearance, behavior and functioning that are very different from the person's "normal" self. Sudden and uncharacteristic calm after a period of depression or agitation is another suicide warning sign, and can come about after a person has made the decision to end his life. Some will begin to "tie up loose ends" by giving away personal possessions, or make plans for a sudden move following a severe depression. Beware of these behaviors as they may be part of a plan to commit suicide.
Treatment
Depression treatment usually incorporates medication together with behavioral therapy. Research has shown that mental and substance abuse disorders are major risk factors for suicide, according to the NIMH website. As a result, many programs that treat these disorders work to address suicide risk directly. NIMH also points to studies suggesting that cognitive based therapy may be effective in reducing the rate of repeated suicide attempts, while MDConsult.com suggests it may be effective in preventing suicide.
