Deck 8: Suicide

Question 1

Statistically, who is at greatest risk for committing suicide?

A) Bobby, a 14-year-old African American male
B) Star, a 35-year-old Native American female
C) Stuart, a 65-year-old white male
D) Sue, a 30-year-old Japanese American female

Answer 1

C

Question 2

"Suicidal ideation" refers to ____.

A) mass media writing about people who kill themselves
B) ideas about ways to convince others to commit suicide
C) an individual's thoughts about suicide
D) explanations of why people commit suicide

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Dr. Elmer is interviewing the friends, family, and therapist of a person who committed suicide so that she can better understand the reasons for suicide. This assessment is ____.

A) called a medical autopsy
B) called a psychological autopsy
C) relatively easy to do because it involves direct evidence
D) based on the biological approach to mental disorders

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which elderly person is most likely to commit suicide if depressed?

A) Harold, a married African American male
B) Lawrence, a married white American male
C) Vern, a widowed white American male
D) Vivian, a single African American female

Question 5

Dr. Charon, a sociologist, is likely to find the lowest rates of suicide among people who are ____.

A) divorced
B) single
C) widowed
D) married

Question 6

____is patterned after a medical procedure, and is a systematic attempt to understand the reasons for a person's suicide or homicide through case history analysis and interviews with family and friends.

A) Psychological autopsy
B) Terminal probe
C) Anomic assessment
D) Postmortem analysis

Question 7

Research investigating the role of gender in suicide has found that ____.

A) women tend to choose more lethal forms of suicide
B) men are less likely than women to complete a suicide attempt
C) women have lower rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
D) men tend to choose more lethal forms of suicide

Question 8

Suicide should be discussed separately from depression because ____.

A) there is little correlation between depression and suicide
B) the cause of suicide is biological, while the cause of depression is environmental
C) there are many causes of suicide, and it may represent a separate clinical entity
D) suicide is more related to schizophrenia than to depression

Question 9

Which of the following is among the six common characteristics of suicide?

A) Most people who end their own lives have clearly decided that they no longer want to live.
B) The most common emotion in suicide is apathy.
C) Only a small minority of those who are successful give some indication of their intentions.
D) Suicide is viewed as a way to escape from psychological pain.

Question 10

Which person is at highest risk for committing suicide?

A) Harriet L., a 35-year-old devout Catholic
B) George T., an elderly white widower
C) Martha K., a young married professional
D) Abdullah J., a middle class married man of Syrian ancestry

Question 11

Which of the following is accurate about people who attempt suicide?

A) Most of them leave suicide notes that clearly mention their reasons.
B) Most of them want to cause pain for the people they leave behind.
C) Alcohol increases suicidality by decreasing inhibitory control.
D) Virtually all of them suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.

Question 12

Rachel is studying suicide. She is surprised to learn that, historically, people avoided talking about suicide because of the ____.

A) shame and stigma involved in taking one's life
B) enduring pain of losing a loved one
C) lack of available statistics to make a discussion meaningful
D) aura of honor bestowed on people who take their own lives

Question 13

A 90-year-old woman kills herself rather than continue suffering with terminal bone cancer. A teenager commits suicide when his girlfriend breaks up with him and his parents are unconcerned. A religious fanatic kills himself to protest religious persecution. These examples of suicide suggest that ____.

A) suicide cannot be studied in a scientific manner
B) all suicide stems from mental disorder
C) there are many different reasons for suicide
D) suicide is basically a sociological phenomenon

Question 14

Which statement about suicide is accurate?

A) Suicide is now the third leading cause of death among young people aged 15-24.
B) For every person who completes a suicide, there are about two who attempt it.
C) Suicide is more common among college students than non-students of the same age.
D) It is relatively easy to tell if an "accident" was really a suicide.

Question 15

One of the most common reasons an individual commits suicide involves the person____.

A) feeling unable to solve his or her problems
B) wanting to get even with other people
C) wanting to make others remember him or her
D) believing he or she will achieve a higher state of existence

Question 16

What problem is associated with studying people who survive their suicide attempt to understand the reasons for why a person commits suicide?

A) Attempters are more likely to be adolescents.
B) Attempters are more likely to have good skills in conflict resolution.
C) People who succeed in ending their lives most likely died of a drug overdose.
D) People who survive suicide attempts differ from those who are successful in their attempt.

Question 17

Dr. Sharma says, "Suicide does not deserve to be studied separate and apart from depression because it is not a major cause of death in the United States. Also, we are at a point in time when there is decreased openness to talking about issues of death and dying, the meaning of suicide, and the right to take one's own life. Moreover, while "suicidal behavior disorder" is in the DSM-5 as a condition for further study, it is not officially a diagnostic category at this time" Which part of Dr. Sharma's statement is accurate?

A) Suicidal behavior disorder in DSM-5 as a "condition for further study," not as a distinct diagnostic category at this time.
B) Most suicidal persons do not exhibit psychiatric symptoms.
C) Suicide does not deserve to be studied separate and apart from depression because it is not a major cause of death in the United States.
D) We are at a point in time when there is decreased openness to talking about issues of death and dying, the meaning of suicide, and the right to take one's own life.

Question 18

Research on college student suicide indicates that ____.

A) more than 50% of college students report suicidal thoughts
B) money problems is the most common contributing factor
C) there are almost no resources available for suicidal college students
D) almost all students who die by suicide seek help before skilling themselves

Question 19

Professor Salazar is talking to his class about suicide among young people. He tells them, "Approximately 38,000 people kill themselves each year in the United States. Over the past ten years, suicides for young people aged 15 to 24 increased 20 percent for males and 42 percent for females. In 2007, suicide was the leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 24 years old. Recent research also indicates that suicide rates are much higher for college students than for their peers who don't attend college." Which part of Professor Salazar's statement is accurate?

A) Recent research indicates that suicide rates are much higher for college students than for their peers who don't attend college.
B) Over the past ten years, suicides for young people aged 15 to 24 increased 20 percent for males and 42 percent for females.
C) In 2007, suicide was the leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 24
D) Approximately 38,000 people kill themselves each year in the United States.

Question 20

____are more likely to attempt suicide; ____are more likely to succeed at committing suicide.

A) White adolescents; Native American adolescents
B) Females; males
C) White males over 40; African American males in their 20s
D) Unattached individuals; married persons

Question 21

When it comes to suicidal behavior, men are more likely than women to ____.

A) actually kill themselves
B) attempt suicide when psychotic
C) attempt, but not complete, suicide
D) use drug overdoses as their method

Question 22

Which psychological state of mind is most predictive of suicidal behavior?

A) depression
B) dissociation
C) anxiety
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder

Question 23

Researchers who study suicide statistics believe that the number of actual suicides is ____.

A) a pretty accurate reflection of reality
B) probably 25-30 percent lower than what is reported
C) probably 25-30 percent higher than what is reported
D) probably underreported because of the concern about copycat suicides

Question 24

Research seems to show that psychache about the future ____.

A) is unrelated to the likelihood of suicide
B) is even more strongly related to suicidal behavior than depression
C) is not strongly related to depression
D) causes depression but not suicide

Question 25

Researchers attribute the link between alcohol and suicide to a condition that is characterized by a constriction of cognitive and perceptual processes and narrowing a person's focus on their personal problems. This explanation of the effects of alcohol on suicide is called ____.

A) alcohol-induced myopia
B) alcohol-induced presbyopia
C) Korsakoff's syndrome
D) alcohol-induced blindness

Question 26

Among children younger than fifteen, the most common suicide methods tends involve ____.

A) jumping from buildings and running into traffic
B) alcohol or drug overdose and hanging
C) use of firearms and poisoning
D) drowning and suffocation

Question 27

A mental health professional wanting to reduce the risk of suicide in a client who uses alcohol would probably say, ____.

A) "Stop drinking. Alcohol constricts your thinking, and that is dangerous when it comes to suicide."
B) "If you stop drinking suddenly, you will experience alcohol myopia, a dangerous condition."
C) "Alcohol myopia is a pleasant state that will probably reduce your likelihood of committing suicide."
D) "I'm not worried about your drinking because you are less likely to take your life when intoxicated than when sober."

Question 28

The stimulus for suicide is generally ____.

A) frustration with life
B) intolerable psychological pain
C) ambivalence about living
D) a desire to be remembered by others

Question 29

Which statement is accurate?

A) It is rare for people to communicate their intention to commit suicide.
B) Suicide rates are generally at their highest during times of war.
C) In the United States, Asian Americans have the highest overall rates of suicide.
D) Most people who attempt suicide are ambivalent about dying.

Question 30

A disturbing change in suicidal behavior is that women who attempt suicide are now ____.

A) more likely to use poisoning by barbiturates
B) completing suicide more often
C) more likely to commit suicide by motor vehicle accident
D) more likely to be married

Question 31

Which professional would be most likely to commit suicide?

A) A CPA
B) A pediatrician
C) A teacher
D) A psychiatrist

Question 32

A friend of yours says, "I heard that suicide is correlated with depression and feeling hopeless. However, those who those who commit suicide rarely suffer from a mental disorder or abuse of substances. In fact, when people are at the depths of depression, they are most likely to commit suicide." Which portion of your friend's statement is accurate?

A) Suicide is correlated to depression and feeling hopeless.
B) Suicide is most likely committed during the depths of depression.
C) Those who those who commit suicide rarely suffer from a mental disorder.
D) Those who those who commit suicide rarely abuse substances.

Question 33

Research by Drum and colleagues (2009) found that ____.

A) more than 90 percent of undergraduate and graduate college students reported suicidal thoughts
B) more than 50 percent of undergraduate and graduate college students reported suicidal thoughts
C) more than 50 percent of undergraduate and graduate college students reported seriously considering suicide
D) more than 90 percent of undergraduate and graduate college students reported seriously considering suicide

Question 34

Of the following countries, which has the highest suicide rate?

A) China
B) Hungary
C) Saudi Arabia
D) United States

Question 35

An emergency medical squad arrives at the house of a man who has killed himself. They are most likely to find that the method of committing suicide was ____.

A) breathing the fumes from the engine of a car in a closed garage
B) ingesting barbiturates or other depressants
C) using a knife to cut himself
D) using a firearm

Question 36

Of the following widowed individuals, who has the lowest risk for suicide?

A) Cleo, a white female
B) Shanti, an African American female
C) Jefferson, an African American male
D) Martin, a white male

Question 37

Consider these suicidal patients: Mary is in the depths of a severe depression. Jack is hospitalized for depression. Patty has just gotten her first weekend pass from the psychiatric hospital. Who is at highest risk for suicide?

A) Mary
B) Jack
C) Patty
D) Mary and Patty are equally high risks.

Question 38

What is believed to be the primary reason that countries such as Italy and Ireland have lower suicide rates?

A) The majority religion there has strong prohibitions against suicide.
B) They do not experience the stressors common to promoting suicide.
C) They have longer summers, so fewer citizens experience seasonal affective disorder.
D) They have better access to psychological treatment.

Question 39

Regina, a 60-year-old widow, is most likely to use which means of attempting suicide?

A) a gun
B) a knife
C) sleeping pills
D) hanging

Question 40

Dr. Ethan says, "Suicide rates vary with occupation and income group. They also vary depending on the individual's relationship to and interaction with society." Dr. Ethan's remarks reflect which perspective on suicide?

A) sociocultural
B) psychodynamic
C) cognitive
D) behavioral

Question 41

"In my view, suicide is related to the impact of sociocultural factors on a person." Who is most likely to have made this statement?

A) Thomas Szasz
B) Emile Durkheim
C) Aaron Beck
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 42

A researcher is investigating the neurotransmitters associated with suicide. She is likely to find that in those who complete suicide, ____.

A) 5-HIAA levels are abnormally low
B) norepinephrine levels are abnormally high
C) adrenalin levels are abnormally low
D) serotonin levels are abnormally high

Question 43

Research indicates that victims of bullying are ____to consider suicide than non-victims.

A) 2 to 9 times
B) 30 to 40 times
C) 15 times
D) just as likely

Question 44

Which statement about suicide among children and youths is accurate?

A) The suicide rate in the United States has not changed over the past 25 years.
B) Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds.
C) Children who commit suicide tend to have high levels of 5-HIAA in their brains.
D) About 12,000 children between ages 5 and 14 attempt suicide each year in the United States.

Question 45

An explanation for the increase in youth suicides relates to ____.

A) the increased risk for children taking SSRIs
B) unwelcome physical changes with adolescence
C) access to unsafely stored firearms in the home
D) lack of education about mental health issues

Question 46

When television newscasters dramatize suicides, there is the danger of ____.

A) reducing the early identification of suicide attempters
B) increasing the lethality of the methods that suicide attempters choose
C) increasing the sense of depression among adolescents
D) generating copycat suicides by drawing attention to suicide

Question 47

Based on research, which teenager is at greatest risk for completing a suicide?

A) Sandy, whose parents are both employed
B) Sam, who is the family scapegoat
C) Sarah, who shows little hostility
D) Steve, who shows no signs of impairment

Question 48

Thieu is very committed to his religious and political views. He believes that his suicide by self-immolation will bring global attention to the plight of his people. If Thieu commits suicide, we might consider this type of suicide ____.

A) a means of ending suffering
B) a form of protest
C) an act of hopelessness
D) a form of atonement

Question 49

Norman, a 71-year-old white widower, is very depressed. He still lives in the small town that he grew up in and attends church every Sunday. He also attends many other regular social activities during the week. What statement regarding Norman's susceptibility to suicide is most accurate?

A) Norman is at minimal risk to commit suicide because he has so many ties to his community.
B) The fact that Norman is an elderly, white, depressed male puts him in a high-risk group, but his social support system is a positive sign.
C) Norman displays many of the risk factors associated with suicide and is likely to attempt but not successfully complete suicide.
D) Norman's severe, untreated depression is concerning enough that he requires immediate hospitalization.

Question 50

A psychologist who is asked to assess patients' lethality is being asked to find out ____.

A) the probability that they will choose to end their lives
B) whether they will survive their suicidal actions
C) whether other people will copy their actions
D) which method they are like to choose when attempting suicide

Question 51

Research addressing the connection between suicide and genetic factors suggests that ____.

A) there is very little relationship between the two
B) genetics plays a major role in susceptibility to suicide
C) the relationship between the two is quite complex
D) environmental factors play a much stronger role than genetics

Question 52

Suppose that five years from now, there is a blood test that assesses the likelihood of a person's committing suicide. It is likely that this test will measure the blood levels of ____.

A) dexamethasone
B) serotonin
C) dopamine
D) adrenalin

Question 53

Butch is Native American. What is currently a risk factor that he and his friends face with regard to suicide?

A) interaction with their elders, who often admire suicide
B) alienation from both Native and mainstream culture
C) religious teachings that promote suicide
D) sudden influx of money from casinos

Question 54

Early warning signs of suicide include ____.

A) giving away belongings
B) sudden changes in behavior
C) putting affairs in order
D) expressions of guilty feelings

Question 55

Durkheim's theory suggests that suicide ____.

A) is a profoundly selfish act
B) is driven by unconscious, self-destructive motives
C) can result from a chemical imbalance in the brain
D) can result from an inability to integrate oneself with society

Question 56

If we looked at the death records for a large city, we would probably find that suicide was most common among ____.

A) Hispanic Americans
B) elderly white men
C) middle-aged women
D) young white females

Question 57

When children and adolescents mimic a previous suicide or imitate the suicide of a celebrity or close friend, this is considered a ____.

A) "copy cat" suicide
B) "black box" warning
C) "bullycide"
D) correlate of suicide

Question 58

When working with a patient who is potentially suicidal, Dr. Gold uses a common three-step process. This would include which of the following?

A) determining the probability that the person will act on the suicidal wish
B) establishing a suicide prevention center
C) knowing what factors are highly correlated with stress
D) beginning a program of psychotherapy

Question 59

Which statement concerning suicide among the young is most accurate?

A) Males commit the majority of suicides among adolescents.
B) Adolescents are most likely to attempt suicide in the summer
C) Females commit the majority of suicides among adolescents.
D) Media reports of suicide do not affect suicide attempts in adolescents.

Question 60

Mental health professionals believe that people considering suicide ____.

A) always announce their intentions as an attention-seeking device
B) are ambivalent about wanting to kill themselves
C) cannot be dissuaded because they are psychotic
D) are nearly impossible to detect

Question 61

In general, the evaluation of suicide prevention centers' effectiveness indicates that ____.

A) nearly half of all adolescents who complete suicide call a hot line first, indicating that the prevention centers are ineffective
B) for the vast majority of callers, they are very helpful and can resolve short- and long-term issues
C) although they may not stop every suicide, callers feel that the centers provide more help than their friends would provide
D) they can help meet the immediate needs of callers and decrease psychological pain

Question 62

Which type of intervention has been established in local communities to help potentially suicidal individuals who are in acute distress but are not being formally treated?

A) suicide prevention centers
B) crisis drop-in centers
C) community mental health clinics
D) state mental hospitals

Question 63

Which perspective offers the most viable explanation of suicide?

A) multipath
B) psychodynamic
C) biological
D) sociocultural

Question 64

What is considered to be a protective factor with regard to suicide intervention?

A) government prohibitions against suicide
B) easy access to mood-enhancing drugs
C) an increased number of comedy programs on television
D) restricting access to lethal means of suicide

Question 65

What is the legal status of physician-assisted suicide among the various states in the United States?

A) Although suicide is illegal in most states, assisted suicide is legal for terminal conditions in Oregon.
B) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the U.S. Attorney General's directive overturning Oregon's approval of physician assisted suicide, so assisted suicide is illegal in all fifty states.
^c.
All of the states in the U.S. now have "living will" laws that permit physician-assisted suicide.
D) Most states have determined that it is permissible for a parent or spouse to help a terminally ill patient end his or her life, but they do not allow physicians to do so.

Question 66

What is the usual sequence of help in crisis intervention?

A) First, the client is helped to resolve the immediate crisis, and then traditional therapy is offered.
B) First, the individual is treated as an outpatient, and then the individual comes in for inpatient medical treatment.
C) First, relatives are contacted, and then the staff works on the crisis with the individual.
D) First, traditional therapy explores the motivation for the crisis and then therapy is provided to the individual and his or her family.

Question 67

Which statement about research on suicide prevention contracts is accurate?

A) There is a lack of research supporting their effectiveness.
B) Almost every study has shown these contracts save lives.
C) These contracts increase risk of nonsuicidal self-harm.
D) These contracts seem to increase risk of suicide.

Question 68

One controversy concerning suicide prevention contracts is that ____.

A) most communities are so upset with them that they refuse to sign
B) they rarely assess the lethality of clients accurately
C) they are hard to draw up
D) their effectiveness has not been appropriately researched

Question 69

As a result of the increase in adolescent suicides, schools in the United States have developed ____.

A) community prevention programs
B) suicide prevention programs
C) crisis intervention programs
D) policies that expel suicidal students

Question 70

Ignacio calls a telephone hot line because he is thinking of harming himself. The telephone counselor asks him if he is married, if he has ever harmed himself before, and the stressors he faces. Why are these questions being asked?

A) The counselor is assessing his lethality.
B) The counselor just wants to establish good rapport.
C) The law requires this information about everyone who calls a telephone hot line.
D) The counselor is performing a psychological autopsy.

Question 71

Kyoko is a well-trained suicide prevention hot line worker. She would ____.

A) never be involved in evaluating a caller's suicidal potential
B) always want to allow the suicidal caller to develop his or her own plan of action
C) always want to establish a good relationship with a suicidal caller
D) never ask the suicidal caller's age, religious preference, or name

Question 72

Peter lives in a state that has one of the highest rates of suicide in the United States. Of the following states, he must live in ____.

A) New Jersey
B) New York
C) Massachusetts
D) Nevada

Question 73

"I'd make everyone happier if I just shot myself" is an example of a ____; revising one's will and giving away one's record collection are examples of ____.

A) psychodynamic clue of suicide; behavioral clues of suicide
B) behavioral clue of suicide; suicidal gestures
C) suicidal gesture; suicide attempts
D) verbal clue of suicide; behavioral clues of suicide

Question 74

Professor Jacobs is telling his class that suicide prevention centers are thought to be extremely helpful. He says, "Although they only evaluate suicidal potential, they typically operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Research shows that the phone counselors and these centers are effective." Which portion of the statement is accurate?

A) They typically operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
B) Research shows that these centers are effective.
C) They only evaluate suicidal potential.
D) Research shows that the phone counselors are effective.

Question 75

Some clues of suicidal intent are direct, and some are indirect. Which of the following is an indirect clue?

A) A person loading a pistol and saying he knows how to use it on himself
B) A student giving away his treasured collection of CDs
C) An employee saying, "If I don't get the promotion, I'll kill myself."
D) A teenager storing up depressant drugs and scheduling a time to take them

Question 76

Honey makes daily threats that she is going to kill herself and she has had made several unsuccessful attempts. Mental health professionals who work with suicidal clients know that ____.

A) Honey is trying to get attention
B) Honey is not serious about taking her life
C) Honey's threats should be taken seriously
D) Honey is more likely to kill someone other than herself

Question 77

Ron works as a paraprofessional for a program that receives telephone calls twenty-four hours a day. He has been trained to evaluate an individual's risk of suicide. What kind of program does Ron probably work for?

A) a halfway house
B) an employee-assistance program
C) a crisis intervention unit in a mental hospital
D) a suicide prevention center

Question 78

Providing intensive short-term help to assist potential suicide victims in resolving a life crisis is the aim of ____.

A) traditional therapy
B) crisis intervention
C) systematic desensitization
D) insight psychotherapy

Question 79

John calls a suicide prevention hot line in a desperate state of helplessness. A well-trained worker should focus John's attention on ____.

A) research evidence that helplessness is a product of operant conditioning
B) the fact that helplessness is a normal reaction to an absurd world
C) specific interpersonal limitations related to his helplessness
D) his strengths and resources to cope with his problems

Question 80

Gary was hospitalized when he was considered at high risk for suicide. A team of professionals saw him for several hours every day for three days until his suicidal thinking was greatly reduced. The team was extremely active in mobilizing his family and occupational resources outside the hospital. This experience best illustrates ____.

A) crisis intervention
B) "right-to-suicide" interventions
C) how psychotherapy is used with suicidal people
D) suicide prevention programs