CHAPTER  6

Mood Disorders and Suicide

Among those who seek psychological help, depression is the most common mood disorder that clinicians encounter. Among the normal population, depression is also widespread. Given its high frequency, there is an important distinction between normal depression - such as that caused by grief over the loss of a loved one - versus depressive mood disorders. Additionally, there are several subcategories of clinical depression ranging from mild (e.g., dysthymia) to severe (e.g., schizoaffective disorder), and from acute to chronic. Moreover, in one subset of mood disorders (i.e., from cyclothymia to bipolar disorders), manic episodes alternate with depressive episodes.

After introducing the clinical picture of these mood disorders, biopsychosocial causal factors and treatment approaches are discussed. Next the text reviews the research on suicide, for which depressed individuals are at constant risk. This section presents information relevant to these questions--asking, for instance, whether all persons who commit suicide are mentally disordered. Data are also presented on the increasing problem of suicide among young people and college students. The section concludes with a discussion of some of the factors that characterize the person who is at high risk for suicide and a brief description of suicide prevention procedures.

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