Suicide, stressors and the life cycle

Article Abstract:

In order to study the relationships between specific life stress-causing events, age effects and suicide, the first 204 consecutive cases from a study investigating 283 completed suicides were evaluated. Information about the individuals who had committed suicide was gathered from family members, friends and employers. Hospital, psychotherapy, school and police records were also evaluated. Of the 202 subjects for whom enough information was available, 97 percent had undergone one or more stressors prior to the suicide. All subjects averaged just under two stressors. The frequency of stressors by age decade was then assessed. Until age 70, conflict, separation and rejection were the most frequent life-stressors, especially among adolescents and young adults who had committed suicide. The rate of the conflict-separation-rejection stressor decreased from 56 percent among those 19 years or younger to 17 percent among those who were over 80 years old. Economic problems peaked among suicidal individuals in their 50s, and then fell to almost no significance among those in their 80s and 90s. Medical illness was the major stressor among individuals who were 80 or older. The only significant difference between sexes was that economic problems were significantly more often the suicide-precipitating stressor among males (28 percent) than females (13 percent). The predictive value of these stressors by age factors is not strong enough to diagnose suicide risk, since there seem to be other, unidentified contributing factors. For instance, statistical surveys show that Caucasians in the US have higher suicide rates than Blacks (with the exception of Black males aged 20 to 25 years). Nevertheless, age seems to be an important factor and should be included in future studies of suicide. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Causes of, Suicide, Demographic aspects, Stress (Psychology)

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Seizure and transient SIADH associated with sertraline

Article Abstract:

A dysthymic patient who was treated with sertraline experienced seizures induced by hyponatremia secondary to syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Upon examination, the patient exhibited a low serum sodium concentration, concentrated urine and clinical evidence of euvolemia. The development of SIADH secondary to sertraline use may indicate a dysregulation of serotonergic control of ADH secretion or metabolism as well as a possible mechanism for sertraline-induced convulsions.

Case studies, Antidepressants, Letter to the Editor, Seizures (Medicine)

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