Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression
<p>The Differential Activation Theory of suicide suggests that once suicidality has occurred during one episode of depression it is highly likely to recur, when depression recurs. However, paradoxically, although depression recurs, for some people their suicidality may stop. Few studies have a...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2011
|
| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1797071695775793152 |
|---|---|
| author | Shah, D Miss Dhruvi Shah |
| author2 | Williams, J |
| author_facet | Williams, J Shah, D Miss Dhruvi Shah |
| author_sort | Shah, D |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>The Differential Activation Theory of suicide suggests that once suicidality has occurred during one episode of depression it is highly likely to recur, when depression recurs. However, paradoxically, although depression recurs, for some people their suicidality may stop. Few studies have addressed the psychological factors associated with resolution or persistence of suicidality within recurrent depression but some research has shown pre-adult onset of depression and suicidality can have particularly toxic consequences. For this thesis, baseline data was obtained from the assessments of a large randomised clinical trial in major depression, in particular a novel method of using timeline data was used to explore 153 previously depressed adults’s life history. This data was examined for the presence of sub-groups within those who have been previously depressed based on their history of suicidality. The overall aims of this thesis were to investigate whether distinct suicidal groups, characterised by different patterns of recurrence of suicidality, could be identified within a sample of participants who all had recurrent major depression. If these specific groups existed within our sample, then a further aim was to compare the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of each group to those who had never been suicidal. The trajectories of onset of depression and suicidality in adolescence were also explored. Results showed that although it was possible to identify resolved and unresolved groups, differences between the groups were limited. The unresolved group reported experiencing more intrusive suicidal thoughts and found suicidal thoughts more comforting. In regards to age of onset, more than half of the sample had an onset of depression during their adolescence. Those with an onset of suicidality in adolescence experienced a greater number of subsequent suicidal episodes. The presence of suicidality within the first episode of depression rendered individuals more vulnerable to experiencing further suicidal episodes in the future. Intervention, prevention and assessment of suicidality should take into consideration onset of depression and suicidality as well as whether suicidality was present in initial depressive episodes, levels of comfort obtained from suicidal thoughts and how intrusive suicidal thought are.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:57:02Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:60c41779-75cb-474c-af5e-49adadf11179 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:57:02Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:60c41779-75cb-474c-af5e-49adadf111792022-03-26T17:55:22ZTrajectories of suicidality in the course of major depressionThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdccuuid:60c41779-75cb-474c-af5e-49adadf11179PsychiatryEnglishOxford University Research Archive - Valet2011Shah, DMiss Dhruvi ShahWilliams, J<p>The Differential Activation Theory of suicide suggests that once suicidality has occurred during one episode of depression it is highly likely to recur, when depression recurs. However, paradoxically, although depression recurs, for some people their suicidality may stop. Few studies have addressed the psychological factors associated with resolution or persistence of suicidality within recurrent depression but some research has shown pre-adult onset of depression and suicidality can have particularly toxic consequences. For this thesis, baseline data was obtained from the assessments of a large randomised clinical trial in major depression, in particular a novel method of using timeline data was used to explore 153 previously depressed adults’s life history. This data was examined for the presence of sub-groups within those who have been previously depressed based on their history of suicidality. The overall aims of this thesis were to investigate whether distinct suicidal groups, characterised by different patterns of recurrence of suicidality, could be identified within a sample of participants who all had recurrent major depression. If these specific groups existed within our sample, then a further aim was to compare the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of each group to those who had never been suicidal. The trajectories of onset of depression and suicidality in adolescence were also explored. Results showed that although it was possible to identify resolved and unresolved groups, differences between the groups were limited. The unresolved group reported experiencing more intrusive suicidal thoughts and found suicidal thoughts more comforting. In regards to age of onset, more than half of the sample had an onset of depression during their adolescence. Those with an onset of suicidality in adolescence experienced a greater number of subsequent suicidal episodes. The presence of suicidality within the first episode of depression rendered individuals more vulnerable to experiencing further suicidal episodes in the future. Intervention, prevention and assessment of suicidality should take into consideration onset of depression and suicidality as well as whether suicidality was present in initial depressive episodes, levels of comfort obtained from suicidal thoughts and how intrusive suicidal thought are.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Psychiatry Shah, D Miss Dhruvi Shah Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| title | Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| title_full | Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| title_fullStr | Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| title_short | Trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| title_sort | trajectories of suicidality in the course of major depression |
| topic | Psychiatry |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shahd trajectoriesofsuicidalityinthecourseofmajordepression AT missdhruvishah trajectoriesofsuicidalityinthecourseofmajordepression |