Suicide and suicidal behavior

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Depression in children

Depression among the elderly

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Suicide and suicidal behavior

Treatment:

Emergency measures may be necessary after a person has attempted suicide. First aid, CPR or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation may be required.

Hospitalization is often needed, both to treat the recent actions and to prevent future attempts. Psychiatric intervention is one of the most important aspects of treatment.

Expectations (prognosis):

All suicide threats and attempts should be taken seriously. About one-third of people who attempt suicide will repeat the attempt within 1 year, and about 10% of those who threaten or attempt suicide eventually do kill themselves.

Complications:

Complications vary depending on the type of suicide attempt.

Calling your health care provider:

A person who threatens or attempts suicide MUST be evaluated by a mental health professional promptly. NEVER IGNORE A SUICIDE THREAT OR ATTEMPT!

Review Date: 12/1/2004
Reviewed By: James W. Dilley, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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