Journal of affective disorders
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Accuracy in patient reports of suicide ideation is a concern in clinical assessment, given that some patients deny suicide ideation even when suicidal. Despite this concern, there is little research on the psychological processes driving reported suicide ideation in at-risk patients. ⋯ Elevated neuroticism increases the likelihood of reporting suicide ideation, just as it may enhance risk for suicidal behavior and death by suicide. The pattern for openness is markedly different. Although elevated openness increases the likelihood of reporting suicide ideation, previous research has shown that it may decrease risk of death by suicide, suggesting that the personality-mediated expression of suicide ideation may be adaptive in certain contexts. In contrast, low levels of openness may mute reports of suicide ideation in at-risk patients and confer risk for poor outcomes by potentially undermining clinician vigilance.
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Comparative Study
Assessment of suicidality in a Moroccan metropolitan area.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of suicidal ideations and suicide attempts in a representative sample of the general population of the urban area of Casablanca, Morocco. ⋯ Suicidal ideation being relatively frequent in the general population, there is a need to develop programs of prevention of suicide.
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Recent studies have indicated that delayed-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (i.e., the development of PTSD more than 6 months posttrauma) is generally characterised by subsyndromal diagnoses within the first 6 months. This study sought to examine the relationship between sub-clinical levels of PTSD symptoms at 3 months posttrauma and delayed onset PTSD at 12 months in a large sample of traumatic injury survivors. ⋯ A considerable proportion of 12-month PTSD diagnoses was delayed in onset. While most demonstrated 3-month morbidity in the form of partial and subsyndromal diagnoses, a minority did not. Thus, clinicians should consider subthreshold diagnoses as potential risk factors for delayed-onset PTSD. Future research is required to identify factors that may predict delayed-onset PTSD in trauma survivors without evidence of prior PTSD pathology.
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Psychosocial assessment of self-harm patients by mental health service staff is an important aspect of their care. Nevertheless, in England around half of those attending a general hospital following a self-harm episode do not receive such an assessment. We have investigated the reasons for this and the characteristics of patients associated with self-discharge or planned discharge without a psychosocial assessment. ⋯ Those at elevated risk of suicide--older patients and those with a history of self-harm--were the least likely to be discharged by hospital staff without a psychosocial assessment. However, males (at increased risk of suicide compared with females), those who had taken illegal drugs or/and alcohol and those attending 'out of hours' were more likely to self-discharge. Services need to be modified and evaluated, based on further information about why such individuals are not currently engaging in services.
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Very little is known about the prevalence and correlates of anxiety among nursing home patients. The current knowledge is predominantly based on information from population-based studies among elderly. ⋯ Anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms occur frequently among nursing home patients and are mainly associated with health-related characteristics. Physicians should focus special attention on patients with depression or stroke.