Reasons for Living Can Prevent Suicide During Depression

June 19, 2000
Release No. 00-31

American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005

Richard Ottinger
202-682-6119
[email protected]
Fax: 202-682-6255

Reasons For Living Can Prevent Suicide During Depression

Washington, DC -- Many people don't act on suicidal thoughts during depressive episodes because of inner strengths, or protective mechanisms that often "kick-in" during times of crisis, according to a new study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The investigators studied 84 patients with major depression of whom 45 had attempted suicide. They found that the 39 who had not attempted suicide scored high on the Reasons For Living Inventory, a self-report instrument which measures beliefs that may help a person overcome suicidal behavior. The 45 who had attempted suicide scored high for hopelessness, their own perception of depression, and suicide thoughts.

Researchers from the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, and University of Pittsburgh found that examining survival and coping beliefs, responsibility to family, child-related concerns, fear of suicide, fear of social disapproval, and moral objections to suicide can often offset the perception of hopeless a patient might have during a depressive episode.

"That perception of adversity or despair -- as opposed to the actual adversity itself -- was an important determinant of suicidal thoughts during depression," said lead researcher Kevin M. Malone, M.D.

"We suggest that Reasons For Living may be clinically useful to assess suicidal patients, and recommend that ways of using the RFL construct within psychotherapy with suicidal patients be explored," said Malone. "Basically, this confirms common sense, but doctors need to look for reasons patients should have hope."

[Protective Factors Against Suicidal Acts in Major Depression: Reason For Living," by Kevin M. Malone, M.D., et. al., p. 1084]

This article is available on the American Psychiatric Association's web site's Newsstand section at www.psych.org.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society, founded in 1844, whose 40,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

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