Depression in self-harm patients.
DSM-III diagnoses and responses to the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were examined in 71 consecutive admissions to an in-patient psychiatric crisis service following deliberate self-harm. Although 80% of the admitted patients were moderately or severely depressed according to BDI scores, only 31% were diagnosed with a major depressive episode. While all of the self-harm patients may be viewed as experiencing severe subjective distress, only a minority were shown to suffer from DSM-III depressive illness. The high depression scores on the BDI may be related to the patients' extreme distress preceding a crisis admission and to the high prevalence of personality disorders in this group of patients.
Department of Psychiatry, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
J
J
Ennis
R A
RA
Barnes
S
S
Kennedy
D D
DD
Trachtenberg
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000523:psychology*