Medscape (5/26, Brooks) reports, “Depressed patients who attempt suicide four or more times have a higher risk of eventually dying by suicide compared with their depressed peers who have never attempted suicide or who have done so fewer times,” research suggests. The findings of the 683-patient study were presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting. Meanwhile, APA president and study coauthor Maria Oquendo, MD, said “physicians need to ‘readjust their view of the multiple suicide attempter as someone who is just trying to get attention.” She added, “One of the things I tell my students is, you really shouldn’t use the term ‘suicide gesture’ because it trivializes the behavior of that individual, and if you can help get them through their rough patch, you might just save a life.”
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