Depression and Suicide (IN: Affective Disorders: Perspectives on Basic Research and Clinical Practice, ed. by T Kariya and M Nakagawara)

This chapter discusses the importance of having general practitioners familiar with the relationship between suicide & depression in Japan. The chapter also reviews studies on how to detect highly suicidal depressed patients, especially from clinical aspects. The chapter also examines pitfalls in evaluating suicide risk. The chapter includes a table of suicide risk factors for general practitioners to use in the diagnosis of suicidal ideation or depression, & later examines each of the risk factors in the table. The chapter concludes with basic strategies for suicide prevention. (43 refs.) (AK)