Depression and Suicide: Current Perspectives
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral and Mental Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 4428
Special Issue Editors
Interests: literacy; positive mental health; psychotherapy; anxiety; psychometrics; taxonomies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: addictive behaviors; mental health; quality of life; well-being; positive mental health; mental health literacy; mental health stigma
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
It is common for people to experience episodes of depression throughout their lives. The World Health Organization classifies depression as the most prevalent health issue worldwide. While the relationship between suicide and depression is increasingly present in academic literature, it is crucial to differentiate sadness, depression, and melancholy as distinct aspects of the depressive experience. Therefore, it is of great importance to conduct studies that seek a deeper understanding of the mental conditions that lead to suicide. This differentiation is significant due to the increasing incidence of suicide associated with the severity of the pathology, especially when considering the psychotic nature of melancholic depression.
As a mood disorder (Stimmung), depression is not limited to the feeling of sadness, which is fleeting and transient. Mood is of basal order and establishes itself as an existential foundation, hindering the ability of individuals with depression to relate to the world and others. In the melancholic experience, suicide emerges as the last resort to escape suffering, representing the final attempt to find relief.
Therefore, it is of great relevance to conduct studies that seek a deeper understanding of the mental conditions that lead to suicide. A suggestion for these studies is to focus on the phenomenon of suicide related to depression in all stages of life, from youth to old age, and examine the specific rates of suicide and depression associated with other psychopathologies. This would allow for more effective interventions, personalized for each individual and type of mental disturbance, including the psychotherapeutic context as a preventive approach.
Articles exploring these topics are welcome, especially those that combine quantitative and qualitative methods. Articles addressing issues such as access to mental health services, stigma reduction, mental health literacy, quality of life, and the impact of health policies on clinical practices and prevention programs for depression and suicide are also encouraged.
Prof. Dr. Carlos Sequeira
Dr. Olga Maria Martins de Sousa Valentim
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- depression
- suicide
- mental health
- psychosocial intervention
- literacy
- quality of life
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