Drug therapy not adequate to treat people with suicidal thoughts: Expert

Drug therapy not adequate to treat people with suicidal thoughts: Expert

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Researchers have found that people with major depressive disorders and a history of suicide attempts respond more to antidepressant treatment. According to a recent study by Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the new findings are the key to individualized treatment strategies and early identification of patients at risk of suicide.

Psychological and social consultant Hassan Al-Mosawi told Kuwait Times the treatment response depends on the case that is being treated. “Treatments are different depending on their lifestyle and the psychological sessions they need. As for those who have made repeated suicide attempts, it is difficult for them to respond positively to drug treatments only because the idea of suicide is still there, along with the idea that their existence in life is a waste of time,” he said.

“Without changing the circumstances and their thinking, they will return to suicidal thoughts. It is important to combine drug therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy to change their view of themselves and give value to their life, thus changing behavior and intellectual pattern and changing their low view of themselves,” he noted.

Mosawi revealed that a patient died recently due to his endless suicidal thoughts. “A week before New Year’s Eve, there was a