Suicide and Mental Health

by Rudy Nydegger

Overview

Delving into a topic of perennial interest and concern, particularly among teenagers, this important volume addresses the full range of issues related to suicide and suggests ways to help those who struggle.

• Examines the topic from a variety of perspectives and provides insights into current issues and controversies, such as doctor-assisted suicide

• Discusses suicide among a variety of age groups and social classes, not just teenagers and college students

• Draws on the author's 40 years of clinical and academic experience as well as on the most up-to-date scholarly and professional literature

• Serves as a gateway to other resources and further study

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610695848
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/14/2014
Series:	Health and Medical Issues Today
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	153
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Rudy Nydegger, PhD, is professor of management and psychology at the School of Management at Union Graduate College and in the Department of Psychology at Union College, Schenectady, NY.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xv

Section I Overview and Background Information 1

1 Suicide: What It Is and What It Is Not 3

Introduction 3

Definitions 4

Methods of Committing Suicide 11

Myths about Suicide 13

Summary 14

2 Who Commits Suicide?: Historical and Statistical Perspectives 15

Historical Factors in Suicide 15

Statistics on Suicide 17

Other Factors Related to Suicide 22

The Risks of Antidepressant Medications 24

Suicide in the Military 25

Summary 26

3 Suicidality and Motivation: Ideation. Planning, Intention, and Commission 27

Terms and Concepts 27

Motives 30

4 Risk Factors for Suicide 37

Mental Illness 38

Medical Problems 39

Substance Abuse and Dependence 41

Problem Gambling 42

Financial/Professional Problems 43

Family/Relationship Problems 43

Trauma and Extreme Events 44

Summary 45

5 Prevention and Treatment for Suicidality 47

Methods and Sites of Prevention 48

Risk Assessment 53

Assess Condition 54

Treatments 55

Summary 58

Section II Contemporary Controversies and Issues 59

6 Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Suicide 61

Is Suicide "Crazy"? 61

Suicide and Treatment 66

Summary 71

7 Patient Rights and the Right to Die 73

Introduction 73

The Right to Die 75

Some Other Ethical Issues in the Right to Die 79

Other Right-to-Die Issues 81

Summary 82

8 Roles of Family, Friends, Professionals, Society, and the Law 83

Roles of Family and Friends 83

Roles of Professionals 87

Legal Issues in Suicide 91

Summary 93

9 Summary and Conclusions 95

Suicide-The Basics 95

Historical, Cultural, and Religious Perspective 96

Motives and Risk Factors 96

Prevention and Treatment of Suicidally 97

Controversial Issues 99

Section III Primary Documents 103

"Mayo Clinic: Suicide and Suicidal Thoughts" 105

"Suicide by Profession: Lots of Confusion, Inconclusive Data" 114

"Exploring the Link between Suicide and TBI" 115

"Suicides" 117

UCR Today-"Study Links Suicide Risk with Rates of Gun Ownership, Political Conservatism" 102

"About Teen Suicide" 123

"Suicide Facts at a Glance" 127

Timeline 131

Glossary 139

Resources 149

Index 151

Editorial Reviews

With an informative, comprehensive narrative, the book can serve as an excellent resource on suicide and suicide prevention for students and health care providers as well as patients and their families. Summing Up: Recommended. All undergraduate students, general readers, and health care professionals/practitioners.” —Choice

“Rudy Nydegger writes about suicide and mental illness as if neither topic were taboo, nor the province of experts only.
And that's his point. His book, Suicide and Mental Health, published last year, presents the subjects in a straight forward, non-judgmental way. Nydegger intended it to be accessible to readers as young as high school students, who may have friends struggling with depression or thinking about ending their lives. . . . Its direct approach works well in puncturing some cultural assumptions about suicide, such as the idea that only mentally ill individuals would consider ending their lives intentionally.” —Times Union

From the Publisher