Deck 7: Suicide

Question 1

What research provides the most compelling evidence that suicide may have a biological basis?

A) studies linking specific genetic mutations to suicidal tendencies
B) studies of neurotransmitter levels
C) family pedigree studies
D) a Danish study of identical twins

Answer 1

studies of neurotransmitter levels

Question 2

A young man commits suicide.His father and uncle committed suicide at about his age as well.Which explanation of suicide MOST easily explains the young man's suicide?

A) a psychodynamic explanation
B) a sociocultural explanation
C) a biological explanation
D) an immediate trigger explanation

Answer 2

a biological explanation

Question 3

Why has suicide become the second leading cause of death in the adolescent age group?

A) Adolescents are rebellious and less inclined to imitate others.
B) Youths lack stable social networks for support.
C) Fatal illnesses are uncommon among the young.
D) Teenagers have a higher likelihood of reacting calmly to stress.

Answer 3

Fatal illnesses are uncommon among the young.

Question 4

A suicide by a family member or friend increases the risk that a person will commit suicide.This risk factor is called:

A) modeling.
B) cluster suicides.
C) psychological capability.
D) the social contagion effect.

Question 5

One study showed that of people at high risk for committing suicide who contact a suicide crisis hotline,approximately _____ later commit suicide.

A) 2 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 30 percent
D) 50 percent

Question 6

Despite American Indians having the overall highest suicide rate,why might the suicide rate among elderly American Indians be low?

A) religious fervor
B) grown beyond the rage of youth
C) the value the culture places on the elderly
D) genetic factors

Question 7

For teenagers,the highest suicide rates are found among:

A) non-Hispanic white Americans and American Indians.
B) American Indians and African Americans.
C) African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
D) non-Hispanic white Americans and Hispanic Americans.

Question 8

A clinically depressed individual who has been threatening suicide finally shows a diminishing of depressive symptoms.This person's risk of committing suicide:

A) has increased dramatically; almost no one who is depressed commits suicide until she or he is recovering.
B) may have increased,because the person may have the energy to act on the suicidal impulse.
C) probably has decreased,although a slight risk remains.
D) has decreased substantially; almost no one who is depressed commits suicide once recovery from depression is under way.

Question 9

Reducing the public's access to lethal and common means of suicide would mean measures such as:

A) covering pools.
B) prescriptions for fewer medications.
C) postvention.
D) gun control.

Question 10

How are the interpersonal theory of suicide and the sociocultural view of suicide different?

A) Only the sociocultural view focuses on a sense of belonging.
B) The interpersonal theory describes perceived burdensomeness as a factor in suicide.
C) The interpersonal theory states that serotonin deficits contribute to suicide.
D) The sociocultural view explains why some people who face particular societal pressures attempt suicide while the majority do not.

Question 11

When a rash of suicides occurs in the aftermath of a celebrity's suicide or a case that has been highly publicized by the media,behavioral theorists believe it is attributable to:

A) modeling.
B) helplessness.
C) fear.
D) hopelessness.

Question 12

People with little sense of "belongingness," who live alone and experience frequent conflicts with others,and who believe they have limited social support are experiencing:

A) serious illness.
B) occupational stress.
C) an abusive environment.
D) social isolation.

Question 13

When answering the telephone of a suicide hotline,the first step for the counselor is to:

A) formulate a plan.
B) establish a positive relationship.
C) understand and clarify the problem.
D) assess the caller's suicide potential.

Question 14

What term describes the behaviors of people who attempt suicide after observing or reading about someone else who has done so?

A) modeling
B) parasuicide
C) the bystander effect
D) social learning

Question 15

Based on the evidence about suicide rates,intervention strategies,to be most effective,should focus on:

A) middle-aged adults,as they have a fairly high suicide rate that is rising relatively rapidly.
B) children; although they have a relatively low suicide rate,the rate is rising extremely rapidly.
C) those older than age 75,since they make far more suicide attempts than other age groups,although they have a low suicide rate.
D) teenagers,as they have the highest suicide attempt and suicide completion rates of any age group.

Question 16

Suicide rates in the weeks after Kurt Cobain's suicide held steady,contrary to the modeling effect seen with other celebrity suicides.The text notes that a possible reason for this was:

A) his age at the time of his death.
B) the manner in which he killed himself,a gunshot to the head.
C) the area where he lived,which had a suicide rate that was lower than the national average.
D) the media coverage of the event,which included a "Don't do it!" message.

Question 17

Which statement BEST reflects the relationship between serotonin and the depression-related brain circuit and suicide?

A) Low levels of serotonin and poorer functioning of the depression-related brain circuit are related to high levels of aggression and impulsivity.
B) High levels of serotonin and overactivity of the depression-related brain circuit are related to high levels of aggression and impulsivity.
C) Serotonin makes people more likely to abuse substances and disrupts the depression-related brain circuit,increasing the likelihood of their committing suicide.
D) Suicide attempts increase the level of serotonin in the brain,disrupting the depression-related brain circuit and making suicide more likely.

Question 18

At a suicide prevention center,you hear a counselor say,"Can you tell me what you think are the most important factors that are making you feel hopeless right now? If you could change three things about your life,what would they be?" Which of the goals and techniques of suicide prevention do these questions BEST represent?

A) Formulating a plan
B) Assessing suicide potential
C) Understanding and clarifying the problem
D) Assessing and mobilizing the caller's resources

Question 19

Among teenagers who attempt suicide,_____ succeed the first time,and _____ will try again.

A) approximately 3 percent; half
B) approximately 3 percent; approximately 10 percent
C) less than 1 percent; approximately half
D) less than 1 percent; approximately 10 percent

Question 20

Why do many people think that the estimates of the rates of suicide are inaccurate?

A) Insurance companies pay extra life insurance in cases of suicide.
B) Many reported suicides are probably really accidents.
C) The stigma associated with suicide makes people hesitant to report it.
D) Suicide is not a DSM-5 category.

Question 21

What factor is thought to account for variations in suicide rates among different countries?

A) climate
B) religious affiliation and beliefs
C) prevalence of mental disorders
D) governmental regulations regarding suicide

Question 22

Which statement is TRUE regarding the social contagion effect?

A) The suicide of a close relative or friend increases your risk of committing suicide.
B) The suicide of a family member increases the risk of others in the family developing a stress disorder.
C) The suicide of a close relative or friend increases your risk of developing a physical illness.
D) The suicide of a family member in your age group increases your risk of developing a mood disorder.

Question 23

The MOST well-developed understanding of the causes of suicide come from the:

A) biological model.
B) psychoanalytic model.
C) cognitive-behavioral model.
D) sociocultural model.

Question 24

Which has NOT been linked to increased suicide risk among teenagers?

A) intense competition for jobs and positions in college
B) weakening family ties,and resulting alienation
C) access to pro-suicide sites on the Internet
D) easy access to drugs and alcohol,and pressure to use those substances

Question 25

Which is the BEST example of dichotomous thinking?

A) One person is stressed by an event that does not bother another person.
B) You have your opinion about suicide,and I have mine.
C) There are lots of factors that put someone at risk for suicide,not just one.
D) There's only one thing to do,and nothing else matters.

Question 26

How likely are women to use a gun to commit suicide?

A) Less than one-tenth of women who commit suicide use guns.
B) Approximately one-fifth of women who commit suicide use guns.
C) Approximately one-third of women who commit suicide use guns.
D) More than two-thirds of women who commit suicide use guns.

Question 27

According to current estimates,the suicide rate in the United States is highest among which ethnicity?

A) African Americans
B) Hispanic Americans
C) American Indians
D) Asian Americans

Question 28

Which description BEST defines self-injury?

A) a behavioral pattern of mutilating oneself or causing oneself pain
B) the most common method of parasuicide
C) a psychological disorder
D) an accident that causes personal pain and distress

Question 29

People in an occupation with a particularly high rate of suicide are:

A) used-car salespeople.
B) police officers.
C) retail workers.
D) mail carriers.

Question 30

The top two leading causes of death among teenagers are:

A) drug overdoses and cancer.
B) accidents and suicide.
C) suicide and drug overdoses.
D) homicide and cancer.

Question 31

Which statement is NOT true regarding gender and suicide?

A) Women attempt suicide more often than men do.
B) Men use more lethal means to commit suicide than women do.
C) Women succeed at committing suicide more often than men do.
D) Men are more likely to commit suicide when they are elderly than when they are younger.

Question 32

Commonly observed triggers for suicide include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) being in therapy.
B) being a heavy alcohol user.
C) knowing someone who committed suicide.
D) experiencing stressful life events.

Question 33

Which factor does NOT contribute to the high suicide rate among the elderly?

A) loss of close friends and relatives
B) geographical location
C) loss of status
D) feeling that they are burdensome to others

Question 34

A U.S.teenager attempting suicide for the first time will MOST likely:

A) not succeed and almost certainly will never attempt suicide again.
B) not succeed but may try again.
C) not succeed and almost certainly will attempt suicide again.
D) succeed.

Question 35

Suicides that are carried out in bizarre ways for political reasons are MOST likely to trigger suicide thoughts in those with:

A) emotional problems.
B) similar political views.
C) a desire to move on to the afterlife.
D) a strong desire to be on television.

Question 36

The child at GREATEST risk for suicide is one who:

A) is not allowed to get a pet but keeps asking for one.
B) has experienced family stress such as parental unemployment or abuse.
C) does not fully understand death.
D) engages with friends but also likes to spend time playing alone.

Question 37

All of these are considered immediate stressors EXCEPT:

A) losing a loved one through death.
B) experiencing a natural disaster.
C) suffering a significant financial loss.
D) living in an abusive environment.

Question 38

A retrospective analysis is exemplified when:

A) researchers ask college students to write suicide notes to study what students think is the motivation for suicide.
B) therapists who had patients who committed suicide are interviewed to gain information on suicide.
C) a school implements a postvention program after several student suicides occur in a close time span.
D) individuals who have made suicide attempts are part of a suicide education program.

Question 39

Suicide education programs typically focus on:

A) those persons who have previously attempted suicide.
B) clergy,who are often contacted by suicidal people.
C) students and teachers.
D) high-risk people who call hotlines.

Question 40

A couple has been married for almost 50 years,and then one of them dies.The probability that the surviving spouse will commit suicide:

A) is much higher than normal.
B) is a little higher than normal,but it drops to normal levels within about six months.
C) does not change much at all.
D) drops substantially,especially if the couple had been having marital difficulties.

Question 41

You are asked to speak before a local elementary school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)about suicide attempts by the very young.You should mention that suicide attempts by the very young often occur when they have:

A) shown a sudden drop in interest in death in general.
B) run away from home.
C) experienced the birth of a sibling.
D) begun to ignore criticism from others.

Question 42

Knowing she was terminally ill,Brielle swallowed a handful of barbiturates.She wanted to save herself and her family from the final painful months of her life.Brielle is an example of what Shneidman refers to as a:

A) death seeker.
B) death initiator.
C) death ignorer.
D) death darer.

Question 43

Retrospective analysis involves:

A) interviewing those thought to be at high risk for suicide.
B) developing a suicide profile,especially for mental patients and prisoners.
C) studying people who survive suicide attempts.
D) gathering information about a suicide victim's past.

Question 44

Studies indicate that LGBTQ teenagers are _____ times more likely to have suicidal thoughts and to attempt suicide.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 45

In research on suicide,abnormal serotonin levels and a dysfunctional depression-related brain circuit seem MOST related to:

A) aggression.
B) introversion.
C) selfishness.
D) shame.

Question 46

Which statement is TRUE regarding teenagers and suicide?

A) The majority of people who commit suicide are teenagers.
B) Suicide is the leading cause of death among teenagers.
C) African American teenage boys commit suicide at a higher rate than do European American boys.
D) More teenagers attempt suicide than actually kill themselves.

Question 47

Which statement BEST supports the idea that teenagers who attempt suicide are more uncertain about killing themselves than elderly people are?

A) Teenagers have the opportunity for many more attempts than elderly people do.
B) Less than 1 percent of teenagers succeed at suicide.
C) Teenagers have far greater access to pro-suicide websites.
D) The media are much more likely to cover teen suicides than those of elderly people.

Question 48

Assume that a recent local suicide attempt was clearly a case of modeling.The person who would MOST likely model another's suicide would be a(n):

A) preteen.
B) teenager.
C) middle-age adult.
D) older adult.

Question 49

Piper shot herself by placing the gun barrel in her mouth,in the middle of a dense wood where she knew she wouldn't be heard or found.Piper is an example of what Edwin Shneidman refers to as a:

A) death seeker.
B) death initiator.
C) death ignorer.
D) death darer.

Question 50

Which is the MOST likely reason for the relationship between alcohol use and suicide?

A) There is a chemical in alcohol that triggers a suicide response in the brain.
B) Alcohol is less well metabolized by those individuals who are depressed.
C) Alcohol lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment.
D) Pound for pound,women get drunk on less alcohol than do men.

Question 51

A friend asks,"Why is there such a strong connection between alcohol abuse and suicide risk?" Based on the best available research,you reply:

A) "Being trapped in substance abuse leads to suicidal ideation."
B) "No one knows for sure."
C) "Actually,being suicidal most often leads to alcohol abuse,and not the other way around."
D) "The connection is weak at best."

Question 52

At a suicide prevention center,you hear a counselor say,"Hello.I am interested in you as a person,and I'm going to stay on the phone with you as long as you want." Which goals and techniques of suicide prevention does this statement represent?

A) formulating a plan
B) assessing suicide potential
C) understanding and clarifying the problem
D) establishing a positive relationship

Question 53

Which statement is TRUE regarding war veterans' risk of suicide once they return home?

A) War veterans are about twice as likely as nonveterans to commit suicide.
B) War veterans are no more likely to commit suicide than are nonveterans.
C) War veterans are a little less likely to commit suicide than are nonveterans.
D) Family members of war veterans,not the veterans themselves,are at a higher suicide risk.

Question 54

How do death darers primarily differ from those in Shneidman's other categories of people who attempt suicide?

A) They are ambivalent about their deaths.
B) They intend to end their lives with their actions.
C) They believe that death will not end their existence.
D) They believe they are merely speeding up an ongoing process.

Question 55

Compared with adults who commit suicide,teenagers who commit suicide are:

A) more likely to be depressed.
B) more impulsive and have poorer problem-solving skills.
C) more likely to have feelings of hopelessness.
D) more prone to homicide than suicide.

Question 56

The behavior of those who engage in self-injurious behavior such as cutting:

A) fits into the criteria for suicidal behavior disorder.
B) represents a clear effort to end one's life.
C) may represent an unconscious attempt at suicide.
D) is relatively uncommon and declining in frequency.

Question 57

Nora is ambivalent about her intent to die and deliberately swims in shark-infested waters.Shneidman would call Nora a:

A) death darer.
B) death seeker.
C) death ignorer.
D) death initiator.

Question 58

Daniel's emotional state has changed,putting him at higher risk for suicide.Which emotion has most likely increased?

A) guilt
B) anger
C) anxiety
D) sadness

Question 59

A person commits suicide in response to a social environment that fails to provide stable structures to support and give meaning to life.According to Durkheim,this represents an:

A) egoistic suicide.
B) altruistic suicide.
C) anomic suicide.
D) intragroup suicide.

Question 60

John was feeling suicidal and received crisis intervention from a counselor.Because the center provided only short-term crisis intervention services,to best help John,the counselor referred him to:

A) a treatment center that offers long-term therapy.
B) an emergency room.
C) group counseling.
D) a residential treatment center.

Question 61

About how many unsuccessful suicide attempts occur annually in the United States?

A) 80,000
B) 120,000
C) 650,000
D) 1 million

Question 62

According to Durkheim,suicides by people who give up their lives so a person they love may live would be classified as:

A) anomic suicides.
B) egoistic suicides.
C) imitative suicides.
D) altruistic suicides.

Question 63

Although all of the following mental disorders are of concern for increased suicide risk,the LEAST likely to be linked to suicide is:

A) depression.
B) posttraumatic stress disorder.
C) alcoholism.
D) schizophrenia.

Question 64

After a student suicide,the school staff are educated about suicide,and increased student counseling sessions are made available.This is an example of:

A) postvention.
B) destigmatization.
C) substance abuse prevention.
D) psychodynamic therapy.

Question 65

The fact that very angry people are not significantly more suicidal than other people argues MOST strongly against which explanation for suicide?

A) a sociocultural explanation
B) a modeling explanation
C) a psychodynamic explanation
D) a biological explanation

Question 66

Of people who use alcohol just before committing suicide,what percentage are legally intoxicated?

A) 10 percent
B) 15 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 35 percent

Question 67

A friend of yours says,"Yes,I support the right of people to commit suicide,especially if they are in a lot of pain or don't have long to live." In the United States,your friend's opinion is:

A) very uncommon; more than 75 percent of all Americans oppose the right to commit suicide under any circumstances.
B) somewhat uncommon; slightly less than half of all Americans oppose the right to commit suicide under any circumstances.
C) common; more than two-thirds of all Americans support the right to commit suicide under those circumstances.
D) almost universal; virtually all Americans support the right to commit suicide under those circumstances.

Question 68

Ernest Hemingway was a physically strong,proud man who developed great concerns about his failing body.Depressed about his progressive illness,he intentionally ended his life.Shneidman would classify Hemingway as a:

A) death darer.
B) death seeker.
C) death ignorer.
D) death initiator.

Question 69

Which statement is TRUE regarding the leading theories designed to explain suicide?

A) They are supported by a significant body of research.
B) They address the full range of suicide acts.
C) They satisfactorily explain suicidal behavior in the elderly but not in the young.
D) They are not supported by a significant body of research.

Question 70

Which is NOT a long-term stressor particularly common among those who attempt suicide?

A) serious illness
B) occupational stress
C) divorce
D) an abusive environment

Question 71

What group is MOST at risk for suicide?

A) African American females
B) Non-Hispanic white American females
C) American Indian males
D) Hispanic American males

Question 72

Which theoretical perspective suggests that the loss of loved ones and self-directed aggression causes suicide?

A) the cognitive-behavioral perspective
B) the humanist perspective
C) the biological perspective
D) the psychodynamic perspective

Question 73

A school's star athlete commits suicide.To prevent further student suicides,the school should:

A) provide postvention.
B) simply watch the students carefully; nothing specific can be done.
C) close the school for a week and let the students' parents help them deal with the loss.
D) engage in reverse modeling.

Question 74

According to Shneidman,people who commit suicide with clarity and commitment,yet who believe that they are simply facilitating a process that is already under way,are called:

A) death darers.
B) death seekers.
C) death ignorers.
D) death initiators.

Question 75

Which statement about the successes of suicide prevention programs is MOST accurate?

A) The people at greatest risk for suicide are the individuals who are most likely to call prevention centers.
B) Of those individuals who call suicide prevention centers,fewer commit suicide than those who don't call who are in a similar risk group.
C) Suicide rates are consistently lower in communities that have suicide prevention centers.
D) People thinking of suicide know about and readily call suicide prevention centers.

Question 76

About what percentage of people who commit suicide use alcohol just before the act?

A) 10 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 35 percent
D) 70 percent

Question 77

Susan deliberately overdoses on pills in an attempt at suicide but her attempt at suicide does not succeed.This suicide attempt is called a:

A) parasuicide.
B) pseudosuicide.
C) subintentional suicide.
D) sublethal suicide.

Question 78

Which of the following suicides would NOT be expected to contribute to the social contagion effect?

A) a disliked celebrity
B) a family member
C) a friend
D) a spouse

Question 79

Assume that a community is made up of almost exactly equal numbers of African Americans,Asian Americans,Hispanic Americans,and non-Hispanic white Americans,and that everyone is of the same socioeconomic status.Approximately what percentage of suicides would you expect to be committed by non-Hispanic white Americans?

A) 5 percent,well below the rates for the other groups
B) 25 percent,about the same as the rates for the other groups
C) 40 percent,about double the rates for the other groups
D) 60 percent,almost four times the rates for the other groups

Question 80

Emile Durkheim's theory of suicide fits into the:

A) cognitive-behavioral model.
B) biological model.
C) sociocultural model.
D) psychodynamic model.