Depression and Suicide: Etiology and Population at Risk

This article discusses the etiology of depression and suicide, and the populations at risk. It provides statistical evidence from Canada and British Columbia, and other scientific evidence. It also highlights available resources to address depression and suicide in local communities, provinces, and Canada.

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Description of depression and suicide, etiology, and population at risk.
Depression is characterized by a deep feeling of despair which can be life-threatening
resulting in suicide. Depression is frequently ignored and not treated and therefore may hinder
individuals from helping themselves (Saveanu & Nemeroff, 2012). On the other hand, suicide is
the tenth leading cause of death globally caused by depression. It is an intentional act of taking
one’s life, and individuals that engage in suicide are overwhelmed by painful emotions and
figure out death as the only option to solve their problems not putting in mind that it is a
permanent solution (Conwell, Duberstein & Caine, 2013).
There is a proof that depression is like illness with a natural ground. Furthermore, it is
continuously found in people who close relatives have been depressed. Depression is a kind of
chemical imbalance associated with bipolar disorder (Saveanu & Nemeroff, 2012). Personal
problems like one being isolated by a group or a family can result in the development of clinical
depression. Also, a family might have a history of depression hence increasing the risk.
Depression is a very complex behavior meaning there are different kinds of genes that exert
small impacts contributing to the risk of diseases. Moreover, grief from the loss of a family
member may increase the risk of depression although death is natural. Events like losing a job,
being divorced or even commencing a job can result in depression. However, the symptoms of
depression are not typical to stressful life occasions.
Many cases of suicide are said to be genetic and history of the family which contribute to
several individuals likely to commit suicide if their family committed the same act (McGuffin &
Katz, 2013). The primary etiology of suicide is mental illness. People with mental illness try
several options for treatment of which they are not perfect and hence after going through

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medication withdrawals and talk therapies they get stuck in mental pain and despair and at the
end they attempt suicide to free themselves. Also, the activation or deactivation of genes based
on where individual life or the company he or she keeps may influence the person in becoming
suicidal. However, being in abusive relationships, involved in breakups or being unappreciated
make people struggle to keep the link to avoid being isolated but when fed up they only see
suicide as the only solution (Beautrais, 2012). People that abuse drugs regularly are likely to
become depressed and change the manner in which the brain works and alter the levels of
neurotransmitters. This leads to a condition in which the person feels helpless to overcome the
addiction, and he ends his or her life to escape the trap.
Among the people that are most likely to get depressed and commit suicide are the youth
and the old adults. Because of school and family pressure, hormonal changes and first life
pressures teens may be at a higher risk of depression and suicide. If an MDE (major depressive
episode) is experienced by youth and is not treated there is an excellent possibility for suicide in
life later. Consequently, due to the mood swings of teens is mistaken for typical characters of
adolescence and depression is not easily recognized (Beautrais, 2012). Therefore, the youths that
may experience depression are less treated than other age groups, and only a third of those
affected are assisted, and hence parents and teachers need to be acknowledged of depression in
youth and grant them the best treatment to avoid suicide cases.
The old people with the age of 65 and above suffer from stress especially when their
loved ones depart from them, after experiencing health complications or when the lifestyle
changes. Mostly, old men have a greater inability to adjust to age-related limitations and loss of
control hence more vulnerable to suicide (Moody, Fuks, Peláez & Smith, 2015).

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Statistical evidence (at least 1 source of evidence from Canada, and 1 source of evidence
from BC).
An estimation of 5 to 8.2 percent of the population of Canada experiences a major
depressive episode in a given year. Moreover, one-third of individuals suffering from depression
seek assistance from close friends or relatives hence avoiding suicide. In 2009, an approximation
3,890 suicides were identified in Canada which was a rate of 11.5 per every 100,000 persons
(Ngui, Apparicio, Moltchanova & Vasiliadis, 2014). The percentage of suicide for males was
three times higher compared to the rate of females that is 17.9 versus 5.3 per every 100,000
persons.
Between the age of 10 and 34 years for adults in America statistics show that suicide is
the second leading cause of death. Also, 90 percent of all individuals who die through suicide
have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.
Other scientific evidence
People with depression are at twenty-five times higher risk of committing suicide than
the whole population. Furthermore, a percentage of n50 to 80 older adults who kill themselves
have been shown to have experienced depression (Beautrais, 2012). Also, the lifetime risk of
suicide among individuals living with untreated depression range from 2.2 to 1.5 percent.
Resources available to address depression and suicide in a local community

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A community based-program was developed incorporating depression screening, mental
health workshop, and a group activity program which was implemented in the Minami district of
Nagawa town, rural Japan with a population of 1685. The primary objective of the study was to
assess the effectiveness of the program to prevent elderly suicide by use of a quasi-experimental
design.
Resources available to address depression and suicide in a province
Centre for Interactive Mental Health Solutions is a non-profit organization for adequate
health services accessible to individuals globally, and it provides a free online therapy program
for depression. Also, Postpartum Progress create healthier families via reducing stigma, raising
awareness and connecting mothers to help with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders such as
postpartum depression.
Resources available to address depression and suicide in Canada
National Network for Mental Health is an organization run by and for mental health
customers and it educates and provides expertise and resources that benefit the Canadian
community. Also, the Mood Disorders Society of Canada offer individuals suffering from mood
disorders a robust cohesive voice to enhance treatment, quality of life and informed research at
the national level.

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References
Saveanu, R. V., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2012). Etiology of depression: Genetic and environmental
factors. Psychiatric Clinics, 35(1), 51-71.
Moody, C., Fuks, N., Peláez, S., & Smith, N. G. (2015). “Without this, I would for sure already
be dead”: A qualitative inquiry regarding suicide protective factors among trans
adults. Psychology of sexual orientation and gender diversity, 2(3), 266.
Ngui, A. N., Apparicio, P., Moltchanova, E., & Vasiliadis, H. M. (2014). Spatial analysis of
suicide mortality in Québec: spatial clustering and area factor correlates. Psychiatry
research, 220(1-2), 20-30.
Conwell, Y., Duberstein, P. R., & Caine, E. D. (2013). Risk factors for suicide in later
life. Biological Psychiatry, 52(3), 193-204.
Beautrais, A. L. (2012). A case-control study of suicide and attempted suicide in older adults.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 32(1), 1-9.
McGuffin, P., & Katz, R. (2013). The genetics of depression and manic-depressive disorder. The
British Journal of Psychiatry, 155(3), 294-304.