NIMH: Majority of suicides result of depression

Police announced last week that philanthropist and publisher Philip Merrill shot himself aboard his boat on the Chesapeake Bay. In a statement released to the press, Merrill?s family said they noticed his spirits were “dimmed” in the previous weeks, but they said they could have never predicted he would take his own life.

Mental health experts say that not all people who are suicidal display easily detectable signs of depression before they kill themselves.

Donna Rasin-Waters, Ph.D., chair of the American Psychological Association?s policy committee on clinical geropsychology, said people who are about to commit suicide may actuallyshow improved mood.

“If they suddenly seem to have a shift when the depression has lifted ? that?s when they have the energy to commit suicide,” she said.

Rasin-Waters said family members should look for subtle behavioral changes if they suspect a loved one to be suicidal. For instance, giving away possessions or trying to resolve long-standing conflicts may be a sign that someone is preparing to die.

In 2002, about 31,655 people died by suicide in the U.S, according to the National Instate of Mental Health. The group also estimates more than 14.8 million American adults are currently affected by major depressive disorder.

“Depression is actually one of the most common psychiatric illnesses,” said Dr. Mahmood Jahromi, a psychiatrist at Saint Joseph?s Medical Center in Baltimore, noting a 21 percent prevalence of the disease in women and a 17 percent prevalence of men in the United States.

Untreated depression can lead to suicidal impulses if a patient has a feeling of hopelessness that persists, Jahromi said.

“Depression becomes a handicapping condition when it interferes with daily life,” he said.

The best course of action is to treat depression head on, by seeking professional help, he said.

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