Hopelessness, Depression, and Attempted Suicide

¹ Residency training in psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, Calif.
² Student, Departments of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia General Hospital

The authors have identified a component of the syndrome of depression—the cognitive element of negative expectations—as a stronger indicator of suicidal intent than depression itself. This not only suggests a solution to the puzzling question of why there is a relationship between depression and suicide, but also indicates that approaches specifically designated to alleviate hopelessness may be successful in preventing suicide.

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