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Zaylie Olsen

Prof. Christopher Blankenship

English 2010

21 October, 2018

The Truth about Suicide and Depression

Ninety percent of people who die suffer from a diagnosable mental illness or substance

abuse (12). Depression and suicide are not only a mental health issue, but has become a public

health issue over time. The reason being that depression and suicide is a debilitating and chronic

disease that causes a financial burden on those suffering due to their inability to work and

provide a stable source of income. One out of every eight Americans experience some form of

depression during their lifetime (3). If an estimated 788,000 people died due to suicide (5),

imagine how high the number of those who attempted is. Through careful study, it has been

found that suicide and depression are not as transparent as they may seem at first glance, but that

there are many contributing factors to this restricting disability. This paper will discuss the

arguments from country to country, men and women, as well as what the brain and genetics do in

depression and why it is so hard to diagnose.

I asked some close friends and family if they believe that suicide and depression have a

greater effect on people in developed countries. They said yes, but there is evidence to suggest

the opposite, as well as the belief that the strongest predictor of suicide being different in

developing countries than in developed ones. The Webster dictionary definition of predictor is;

“a person or thing that predicts that something will happen in the future or will be a consequence

of something.” Therefore, a predictor of suicide is something that suggest someone is feeling

suicidal. According to PLOS medicine, developed countries are more predictive while
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developing countries are less predictive (Nock et al). Nock and his colleagues believe that they

know the strongest predictors of suicide, which according to them in advanced countries is very

different than countries who are still developing (Nock et al). PLOS Medicine also declared that

“only disorders characterized by anxiety, and poor impulse control predict that these people are

more likely to attempt” (Nock et al). Therefore saying that anxiety and poor impulse control

mean that people are more likely to attempt suicide and have depression. PLOS Medicine states

that even though studies have suggested that mental disorders are “strong predictors of suicide

ideation, they are not as useful when predicting those who attempt suicide” ( Nock et al). The

VSG (Victoria State Government) agrees with PLOS about depression being a leading cause of

suicide (3).

This contrasts the expressed opinion of the BMJ (British Medical Journal) who declares

that “the time from the onset of the disorder to the completed suicide varies according to the

subtypes of the disorder” (Långström et al). According to the BMJ mood disorders are the most

frequent predictors of suicide (Långström et al). The BMJ also stated that according to the

statistics of some figures, suicide is a rare event in high risk groups of people who have

attempted (Långström et al).The BMJ also says that suicide varies with co-existing mental

disorders and is less likely in depressive disorders (Långström et al). In agreement with the BMJ,

WHO (World Health Organization) says that low to middle income countries are more predictive

of suicide (5). Unlike PLOS, BMJ, and WHO, Spencer-Thomas believes that in order for there to

be a difference, we don’t need to focus on specific groups who suffer from suicide and

depression (Spencer-Thomas). There are many reasons why suicide takes place, such as bullying,

the death of a loved one, mental illness, and so on, but the reason varies from country to country

and how refined their society is, as well as the varying differences in the predictors of suicide.
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People disagree on the factors that predict suicide and they are of high importance when

trying to get a diagnosis from a GP (general practitioner). In the opinion of the Medical Journal

of Australia, GP’s are often the initial contact someone has with professional help (Rickwood

and Wilson). The MJA also believe that GP’s need to improve their ability to recognize mental

disorders like depression in people (Rickwood and Wilson 11). Aaron T. Beck and Alice

Beamesderfer who wrote Assessment of Depression: The Depression Inventory agree with the

MJA that depression and suicidal thoughts are harder to diagnose than other mental disorders (2).

However, according to the National Institution of Mental Health, we need to get newer, more

modern machines to help diagnose depression (10).

While it is commonly thought that both sexes are equally prone to suicide and depression,

according to the National Institute of Mental Health, women with a chronic illness, disability, are

lonely, or suffer from insomnia are at higher risk of suffering from depression than men (8).

Other factors for both sexes that are a higher cause of depression are; family history of

depression, taking certain medications, diagnosis of a brain disease, stressful life events, and

drug or alcohol misuse (8). According to a booklet written by the National Institute of Mental

Health, it is true that more women attempt suicide, but men tend to be more “successful” in their

attempts due to hormonal, biological, and psychosocial factors that are distinctive to women. (4).

The booklet also says that the symptoms of depression tend to affect women differently than men

(4). Women tend to have symptoms on the emotional side of depression, such as sadness,

culpability, and inadequacy (4). While men are more likely to be irritable, tired, and lose interest

in things that they once found interesting (4). Although suicide affects men and women

differently, and there is a significant gap in the statistics of who die, suicide is still a big problem

in today’s society.
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There has been some research into depression and suicide and the findings of some of

this research has some people believing that depression and suicide is genetic. Doctors Autry and

Monteggia from the department of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwest Medical

Center created an article entitled “Epigenetics in Suicide and Depression” have concluded

through extensive research that the receptor for the brain that derived the neurotrophic factor has

linked alterations to the epigenetic processes in suicide (Autry and Monteggia). The part of our

brain derived from the proteins that are responsible for function, development, and survival

area’s linked to the changes of gene expression. They also state that there is a repressed gene

expression that has the consequence of depression (Autry and Monteggia). In agreement with

Autry and Monteggia, the National Institute of Mental Health says that genetics, chemistry, and

biology of the brain also play a part in depression (4). However, Peterson believes that suicide

risk and depression is associated with decreased serotonin levels in the brain (Peterson). He also

mentions that the consumption of antidepressants causes serotonin to decrease even further and

this steeper drop in serotonin causes a further risk of suicide (Peterson). Although some believe

that depression and furthermore suicide are just a mental health disorder, there is scientific

research to suggest otherwise and we should take this into account.

Overall it may be said that suicide is more than a mental health disorder that affects

millions of people worldwide. Through attentive scrutiny, it has been established that depression

and suicide are not as palpable as they may seem upon the first glimpse, but that there are

countless causes for this disease. Over the course of this paper, we have discussed the multiple

contributions to suicide and depression. Some of these causes vary from country to country and

their development, while others are as simple as the differences between men and women. Then
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you have to think about the brain’s role in depression as well as the genetics, and how hard it can

be to diagnose suicide and depression.

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Works Cited

Autry, Anita E., and Lisa M. Monteggia. “Epigenetics in Suicide and Depression.”

Biological Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Nov. 2009,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2770810/.

Beck, Aaron T., and Alice Beamesderfer. “Assessment of Depression: The Depression

Inventory.” Karger Publishers, Karger Publishers, 2 Apr. 2015,

www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/395074.

Department of Health & Human Services. “Suicide and Mental Illness.” Better Health

Channel, Department of Health & Human Services, 31 Aug. 2015,

“Depression: What You Need to Know.” National Institute of Mental Health, 2015, pp.

4–7.

“ Global and Regional Estimates of Health Loss.” Depression and Other Common Mental

Disorders, World Health Organization, 2017, pp. 13–14.

Långström, Niklas, et al. “Risk of Suicide after Suicide Attempt According to Coexisting

Psychiatric Disorder: Swedish Cohort Study with Long Term Follow-Up.” The BMJ,

British Medical Journal Publishing Group, 19 Nov. 2008.

Nock, Matthew K., et al. “Cross-National Analysis of the Associations among Mental

Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health

Surveys.” PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, 11 Aug. 2009.

“Older Adults and Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S.

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Department of Health and Human Services,

www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/older-adults-and-depression/index.shtml

Peterson, Michael J. “How to Get Rid of Suicidal Thoughts: Suicide Signs & Prevention.”

Edited by Melissa C Stöppler, EMedicineHealth, WedMD, 19 Oct. 2018,

www.emedicinehealth.com/suicidal_thoughts/article_em.htm.

“Predicting Suicide Attempts and Suicide Deaths Using Electronic Health Records.”

National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

12 July 2018,

www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2018/predicting-suicide-attempts-and-suicide-d

eaths-using-electronic-health-records.shtml.

Rickwood, Debra J, and Coralie J Wilson. “When and How Do Young People Seek

Professional Help for Mental Health Problems?” GETTING THERE: PROTO-

PSYCHIATRY, edited by Frank P Deane , Volume 187 , 2007, pp. S35–S37. Number 7.

https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/187_07_011007/ric10279_fm.pdf

Spencer-Thomas, Sally. “Facebook Twitter Social Justice Tipping Point: Advocating for

Social Justice as a Suicide Prevention Movement.” Social Justice | Suicide: Finding

Hope, 2018, www.suicidefindinghope.com/content/tipping_point