The article Suicidal Attempts in Bipolar Disorders: Comprehensive review of 101 reports written by Tondo et al., majorly aims to assess suicide behaviors amongst individuals with bipolar conditions. The article highlights how prevalence and incidence rates of suicidal deaths and suicide attempts are high in individuals with bipolar disorder and other mental health concerns. The article also outlines major behavioral differences between bipolar individuals and the general population (Tondo et al., 2015). The main reason for conducting the study was to establish the overall risk of increase in the rate of suicidal behaviors amongst individuals with various mood disorders (Tondo et al., 2015). Longer time exposure to various risk factors was also a significant factor in the study since it highlighted some of the major impacts of time exposure on the Standardized Mortality Ratio for the target population.
The Standardized Mortality Ratio is the ratio between the recorded number of deaths in a given study population to the expected number of deaths based on age and gender-specific rates in the general population. The article majorly focuses on a study population of individuals with bipolar disorders in the American department of health. Bipolar disorder is one of the major health conditions that have a significant impact on the behaviors of an individual (Tondo et al., 2015). The American department of health has observed an increase in the number of suicides and suicidal attempts from individuals with bipolar conditions. Suicidal behaviors are some of the main causes of increased mortality rates in the study population.
Research conducted by various medical practitioners and organizations in the health sector has identified various risk factors for suicide. The main risk factor for suicide amongst individuals with bipolar disorders is the patient’s previous attempts to commit suicide (Tondo et al., 2015). Notably, most bipolar patients resolve self-harm to avoid situations they consider to be unpleasant for them (Tondo et al., 2015). There is a great difference between suicide attempts from psychiatric patients and suicidal behavior from normal patients in the American health sector. The cases of suicidal attempts in the general population are high in the younger generation.
The article’s authors utilized different methods to acquire the appropriate data required for an elaborate study of the target population. One of the effective approaches used includes the use of computerized literature searching, which involves assessing various studies and research by scholarly individuals regarding attempted suicide by people with bipolar conditions (Tondo et al., 2015). Linear or non-parametric correlations methods were also deployed to acquire relevant information for the study (Tondo et al., 2015). Multivariable linear regression modeling was also utilized to find the relationships between suicidal behaviors and various risk factors.
Time exposures to risk factors and incidence rates by diagnostic types and sex are the major factors to be considered when assessing the Standardized Mortality Ratios amongst people with bipolar conditions. The major findings by the authors of the study indicate that the risks were greater with long-time exposure. The incidence and prevalence rates decreased with a longer time at risk because of dilution with longer time exposure (Tondo et al., 2015). Women are leading in numbers with cases of suicidal behaviors amongst individuals with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorders are the major mental health illnesses that affect a significant number of people in the United States of America. The article is greatly relevant for the course because it enables student understand some of the negative impacts of bipolar disorder on the well-being of an individual. The article has also highlighted some of the major rising problems in the society in the present world which is increase in the cases of suicide amongst young people. Personally, the report has greatly improved my understanding on the difference in suicide cases amongst bipolar disorder patients and the general public.
Reference
Tondo, L., Pompili, M., Forte, A., & Baldessarini, R. J. (2015). Suicide attempts in bipolar disorders: comprehensive review of 101 reports. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 133(3), 174–186.