Affective Disorders and Suicide (IN: Suicide – an Unnecessary Death, edited by D Wasserman)

This chapter examines suicide in affective disorders, including: major depressive disorder, melancholia, male depression, masked depression, dysthymia, & bipolar states & mania. Other topics discussed include comorbidity, medical consultations before suicide, antidepressants as a means of committing suicide, & the treatment of depression & prevention of suicide. A case history of a 40-year-old Finnish male is presented as illustration of the issues discussed. (18 refs.)