IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg Entrance-2017
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

Suicidal tendency is seen in?

Appeared in: IGNOU PB Bsc Nsg Entrance-2017

Explanation

  • Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of suicide, with depressed patients forming the largest diagnostic group of all completed suicides.
  • Core symptoms of depression, such as hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness (the cognitive triad), drive the desire to end one's life.
  • The risk of suicide can paradoxically increase during the initial phase of treatment or recovery, as the patient may regain the energy to act on a suicide plan before their mood improves.
  • Anhedonia, the loss of pleasure, further isolates the individual and reinforces the belief that life is not worth living.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: While OCD is distressing, suicidal ideation is not a core symptom. Suicide risk is primarily associated with comorbid depression.
  • Option C: Suicide during a pure manic episode is rare. Deaths are more often accidental due to impulsivity and grandiosity. The highest risk in bipolar disorder is during depressive or mixed episodes.
  • Option D: While anxiety disorders can be associated with suicidal ideation, particularly panic disorder and PTSD, the association is much stronger and more direct with depression.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Association between psychiatric disorders and suicidal tendency as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • A nurse's primary responsibility for a suicidal patient is to maintain safety. This includes environmental safety checks and constant observation.
  • It is a myth that asking about suicide will give a person the idea. Direct questioning (e.g., 'Are you having thoughts of harming yourself?') is essential for accurate risk assessment.
  • What if a patient with known depression suddenly appears cheerful and calm after a long period of sadness? This could be a red flag. The patient may have made the decision to commit suicide and is experiencing a sense of relief. This situation requires immediate escalation and increased observation, not a reduction in precautions.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, understand the core of the question: it asks to identify the condition most commonly associated with suicidal tendencies.
  • Analyze each option based on its defining psychiatric symptoms.
  • Recall that Major Depressive Disorder has suicidal ideation as one of its key diagnostic criteria, driven by feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and anhedonia.
  • Contrast this with Mania, where the mood is elevated, and any self-harm is more likely to be accidental due to impulsivity.
  • Consider OCD and Anxiety disorders. While they cause significant distress, suicide is not a primary feature unless there is a comorbid depressive disorder.
  • Conclude that Depression has the most direct and prevalent link to suicidal tendencies among the choices provided.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Association between psychiatric disorders and suicidal tendency
  • Stem keywords: Suicidal tendency
  • Lead-in keywords: seen in

Question ID

QZRnspjmVClWFrOV4x4IDD

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 3861-3863, 12433-12435, 5497-5499

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Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.

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