Depression And Suicide: What Is The Relationship Between Suicidal Behavior And Depressive Disorder?

Currently, suicide is considered a public health problem since it represents one of the main causes of death in most countries and can be prevented. Furthermore, in the case of the youth population, suicide is among the leading causes. Specifically, according to the WHO it is the first cause of external death in Spain and the third in the case of women. Worldwide, it is estimated that every 40 seconds a person decides take your life

Even though he suicide It cannot be explained by a single cause nor is it necessarily linked to a psychological disorder; there are aspects that can predict suicidal behavior. Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders in the population. But… What relationship does it have with suicide? Read this article and discover the relationship between the two as well as the risk factors and what to do if a person has suicidal ideations and/or depression.

What is the relationship between suicidal behavior and depression?

Depression is a psychological disorder of the mood characterized by the presence of episodes where a change in the emotional state occurs. In general terms, the symptoms of depression They are a depressed mood, decreased interest or pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyed, fatigue, loss or increase in appetite, etc. According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), is established as a possible symptom of major depression the presence of recurring thoughts related to death, suicidal ideation without any specific plan, suicide attempt or a specific plan to carry out this behavior. According to this same manual, the suicidal thoughts They are present during all episodes of major depression.

In relation to the adolescent population, a stage characterized by multiple psychological, social and physical changes, suicide has been increasing and one of the risk factors that has been identified in this population is suffering from a depressive disorder. Furthermore, the youth population is the group that is most likely to suffer from depression since, as we have mentioned, it is a stage in which multiple changes are experienced. On the other hand, one of the main problems that the child and adolescent population goes through is that internalizing disorders, that is, those that are characterized by the discomfort being directed “inward,” are much more complicated to identify. Depression, being an internalizing disorder, can go unnoticed during the childhood and adolescent stage, making its treatment difficult and, therefore, decreasing the probability of the appearance of suicidal behavior and increasing the probability of suffering from a chronic depression (or dysthymia).

How to help a person who has suicidal ideas and/or depression?

It can be very painful to find out that a person we love thinks about you. take your life and/or have depressive symptoms. It is totally understandable and normal that you do not know how to act or what to say since no one has taught us how we should act in these types of situations or how to know if a person has depression Deciding to intervene will always be the best option since trying to pretend nothing can make the situation worse. Below we present a series of tips to be able to talk to that person:

1. Don’t judge her: Obviously, reproaching someone for suicidal thoughts or intentions can make the situation worse since the person will probably feel more alone and the likelihood of asking for help will decrease. The same thing happens in the event that the person has depression since judgment will always make the person feel worse. Therefore, it is important that even though we do not understand why, we try to get closer to the person and understand why they have come to feel this way, what they need, etc.
2. Ask her: Nowadays, suicide is still a taboo topic and it is normal for us to feel uncomfortable talking about it, just like talking about psychological disorders. However, no matter how much we avoid talking about it, it is something that will continue to happen. Therefore, it will always be better to ask the person directly if he intends to commit suicide than not to.
3. Listen to her: It is totally understandable that fear invades us in this situation and that we try at all costs to convince the person not to do it, to stop feeling sad, etc. However, no comment we can tell you is going to change the situation. Therefore, it is important to avoid comments like “how young you are…”, “but you don’t have any problems…”, etc. because far from helping him, it will increase his feelings of guilt. A good way to approach is from empathy, asking if there is any way to help him, if he wants to express his feelings, etc.
4. Ask for help: It is always important that after having given the person space to explain how they feel and what worries them, we provide them with ways to help. It is essential that we normalize the situation, that presenting suicidal ideas and/or presenting depression does not mean that the person is crazy or that they do not value everything they have. Sometimes, we do not find a way to solve what causes us discomfort and we see suicide as a solution to our suffering. However, there are other ways to alleviate this discomfort that are not irreversible. Therefore, it is advisable that we emphasize to the person that what concerns them can be attended to by a professional and that we can accompany them to seek that help.

Both the suicidal behavior like depression, they need professional help. Going through any of the situations mentioned does not have to embarrass you or make you feel guilty. However, it is absolutely necessary that we ask for help when we notice that there is some discomfort that we do not know how to manage. Remember that there is currently the Hope Telephone (717 003 717), it is available 24 hours a day and is completely free.