03-10-2006, 06:04 PM
1.A 17-year-old African American girl comes to the clinicfor a precollege health checkup. She reports no current symptoms and states she has generally been well. As an adolescent she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder after a prolonged period of depressive symptoms and a suicidal gesture.At that time, approximately 4 years ago, she was started on a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that helped her immensely. She discontinued her medication approximately 1 year ago and has been well since then. She denies any current neuropsychiatric symptoms. Her examination is unremarkable, appropriate vaccinations and laboratory studies are ordered, and she is given a clean bill of health. Later in
the day the patient™s mother calls. She is concerned about her daughter™s risk for recurrent depression and suicide, which she has heard is a growing trend in the college-age population. There is a family history of suicide, and the mother is concerned that this may place her daughter at a high risk. She wonders if she should arrange to have the young woman seen by a psychiatrist while at college. Given this patient™s presentation, which of the following is her greatest risk factor for dying from suicide?
(A) Family history
(B) Female sex
© Psychiatric illness
(D) Suicidal gesture
(E) Young age
the day the patient™s mother calls. She is concerned about her daughter™s risk for recurrent depression and suicide, which she has heard is a growing trend in the college-age population. There is a family history of suicide, and the mother is concerned that this may place her daughter at a high risk. She wonders if she should arrange to have the young woman seen by a psychiatrist while at college. Given this patient™s presentation, which of the following is her greatest risk factor for dying from suicide?
(A) Family history
(B) Female sex
© Psychiatric illness
(D) Suicidal gesture
(E) Young age