抑郁癥比艾滋病、癌癥和糖尿病三者加起來還要常見，美國每年約有40萬人嘗試自殺。
But even though it\'s a common and serious problem, many people don\'t know that much about depression and suicide—including who\'s at the greatest risk, why, and when they are most likely to be vulnerable.
但盡管這個問題如此常見而又嚴重，很多人對抑郁癥和自殺仍然不甚了解——包括什么人自殺傾向最高、什么原因及什么時間讓他們最脆弱。
Here are 15 myths and facts about depression and suicide.
以下是15條關于抑郁癥和自殺的迷思和真相。
Suicides peak during holidays
節(jié)日期間自殺的人最多
Myth
迷思
\"There is a time of year when suicides are more common,\" says Marcia Valenstein, MD, research scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development Service. \"But it\'s not when everyone thinks.\"
“一年中確實有一個時段自殺現(xiàn)象更常見，”退伍軍人事務部醫(yī)療服務研發(fā)部門的研究員瑪西婭·瓦倫斯坦醫(yī)學博士表示，“但不是在人們認為的那個時間?！?/font>
Most people think the winter holidays are a risky time, but suicides are lowest in December and peak in the spring.
大多數(shù)人認為冬季假期自殺風險高，但實際上，12月的自殺率最低，春天自殺率最高。
It\'s not clear why, but it could be due to changing levels of natural light. \"It could be that they have more energy to attempt suicide,\" says Dr. Valenstein, who is also an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan Depression Center, in Ann Arbor.
這個原因尚不明確，但它可能與自然界的光照變化有關?！斑@也許是因為他們有更多的精力去實施自殺行為?！蓖邆愃固共┦勘硎荆瑫r還擔任著密歇根大學安娜堡分校抑郁癥中心精神病學副教授一職。
Suicide rates climb with altitude
自殺率隨海拔升高而上升
Fact
事實
The greater the elevation of a person\'s home, the higher the risk of suicide, according to a recent study. Suicide rates are about 70% higher in regions 2,000 meters in elevation, for example, compared to at sea level.
據(jù)一項最新研究顯示，在海拔越高的地區(qū)，其居民自殺的風險也越高。例如，海拔2千米的地區(qū)與零海拔的地區(qū)相比，自殺率（譯注——文中“自殺率”指的是死于自殺的比率，commit suicide是指成功自殺身亡，未遂的都是用attempt一詞）大約要高70%。
The effect appeared to hold even after researchers accounted for risk factors such as greater gun ownership and lower population density.
即使在研究人員排除了槍支持有率更高和人口密度更低等風險因素之后，這一效果仍然維持不變。
Teens are at greatest risk
青少年自殺風險最高
Myth
迷思
Teenage suicides make headlines, but the elderly are more likely to take their own life than any other age group, says Dr. Valenstein.
青少年自殺常登上報紙頭條，但瓦倫斯坦博士說，老年人的自殺傾向比其他任何年齡組的人都要高。
At particularly high risk are white men over the age of 85, who have a suicide rate of 49.8 deaths per 100,000, compared with about 14 per 100,000 in people over 65, and 11 per 100,000 in the general population.
自殺風險尤其高的是85歲以上的白人男性，他們平均每10萬人當中有49.8人死于自殺，而65歲以上年齡組的自殺率是14人/10萬人，總?cè)丝诘淖詺⒙蕜t是11人/10萬人。
Still, teenagers remain a high-risk group. One in five high school students says he or she has considered suicide in the past year and 1 in 12 attempts to take his own life. (The suicide rate for 15- to 19-year-olds is 6.9 per 100,000.)
不過，青少年仍然是自殺高危群體。1/5的中學生說他們在過去的一年中考慮過自殺，1/12的人嘗試過自殺。（15-19歲年齡組的自殺率是6.9人/10萬人。）
Whites attempt suicide more often than other races
白人嘗試自殺的比率高于其他種族
Fact
事實
Suicide is more common among whites in the U.S. than blacks, Asians, or Hispanics.
在美國，自殺現(xiàn)象在白人中比在黑人、亞裔或西班牙裔中更普遍。
\"No one is quite sure why whites are at a higher risk,\" says Dr. Valenstein. \"It might have to do with differences in social support.\"
“沒有人確切知道為什么白人自殺風險更高，”瓦倫斯坦博士說，“這可能和社會支持系統(tǒng)的差異有關?！?/font>
The only group at higher risk is American Indian/Alaskan Natives, who have a suicide rate of 14.3 per 100,000 compared to 13.5 per 100,000 for whites and about 5 to 6 per 100,000 for other groups.
唯一一個自殺風險更高的群體是印第安人/阿拉斯加土著居民，他們的自殺率是14.3人/10萬人，白人的自殺率是13.5人/10萬人，其他群體的自殺率大約是5-6人/10萬人。
Writing style is linked to suicide risk
寫作風格與自殺風險有關
Fact
事實
Creativity, depression, and suicide have long been linked, so it may come as no surprise that some of history\'s most creative individuals suffered from a mental illness. Depression affected great minds such as Charles Dickens, John Keats, and Tennessee Williams.
創(chuàng)造性、抑郁和自殺長期以來都被相互聯(lián)系在一起，所以一些歷史上最富創(chuàng)造力的人物患有精神疾病也許不足為奇。被抑郁癥困擾的偉大人物包括查爾斯·狄更斯、約翰·濟慈和田納西·威廉斯。
Several famous writers have committed suicide, including Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, and David Foster Wallace. This group also has something else in common: They all wrote in the first person, which has been suggested to be a sign of suicide risk.
包括歐內(nèi)斯特·海明威、西爾維婭·普拉斯和大衛(wèi)·福斯特·華萊士在內(nèi)的一些著名作家都是自殺。他們之間還有另一個共同點：他們都以第一人稱寫作，這被視作自殺風險的一個表征。
Depression is always the cause of suicide
抑郁癥總是自殺的原因
Myth
迷思
Two of every three people who commit suicide are depressed at the time they take their life. However, alcoholism plays a role in 1 in 3 completed suicides.
2/3自殺身亡的人在自殺時處于抑郁狀態(tài)。不過，在自殺成功的案例中，有1/3和酗酒有關。
Major depression is the psychiatric diagnosis most commonly associated with suicide, with about 20 times the risk found in the general population.
重度抑郁癥是最常與自殺相關聯(lián)的精神病學診斷，其自殺風險比總?cè)丝诘淖詺L險高約20倍。
\"With much more active screening and treatment, depression carries less of a stigma now, but it remains one of the big risk factors for suicide,\" says Dr. Valenstein.
瓦倫斯坦博士表示，“隨著更積極的甄別和治療工作的展開，人們現(xiàn)在對抑郁癥的誤解減少了，但它仍是自殺的高風險因素之一?！?/font>
Your family affects risk
自殺風險受家庭影響
Fact
事實
A family history of depression increases the chances that a child will suffer the same by a factor of 11.
有抑郁癥家族病史的孩子，將來患抑郁癥的幾率比常人高11倍。
But families (and friends) can also play a significant role in preventing suicide. Strong social support is known to lower suicide risk.
但家人（和朋友）在防止自殺中也能起到重要的作用。人們已經(jīng)知道，強有力的社會支持系統(tǒng)可以降低自殺風險。
Poor countries have higher suicide rates
窮國自殺率更高
Myth
迷思
In fact, many rich countries have higher suicide rates than developing nations.
實際上，很多富國的自殺率比發(fā)展中國家高。
Some of the lowest rates can be found in Latin American countries, such as Brazil and the Dominican Republic, while richer countries (based on their GDP per capita), such as Russia, Japan, and France, are among the highest. These nations report numbers between two and three times as high as the U.S.
自殺率最低的國家中包括巴西和多米尼加等拉美國家，而俄羅斯、日本和法國等一些富國（按人均GDP劃分）則位列自殺率最高的國家之列。這些國家公布的自殺率數(shù)字是美國的2-3倍。
Approximately 54 of every 100,000 men in Russia, for example, commit suicide every year. (The region\'s high rates of alcohol consumption may be partly to blame.)
例如，俄羅斯每10萬人中每年約有54人死于自殺。（該地區(qū)飲酒者比率高或許也是部分原因。）
Most suicide attempts fail
大多數(shù)自殺嘗試都未遂
Fact
事實
Fortunately, only 1 in every 10 to 25 attempts actually results in death, according to Dr. Valenstein.
據(jù)瓦倫斯坦博士說，幸運的是，每10-25例自殺嘗試中只有一例會導致死亡。
To further lower that rate, Dr. Valenstein suggests \"taking away the means.\"
為了進一步降低這個比率，瓦倫斯坦博士建議“拿走自殺工具”。
\"Make sure people you\'re concerned about don\'t have stockpiles of meds or access to guns,\" she says. \"You want to make it difficult for them to enact a persistent suicidal thought.\"
“確保你擔心的人沒有儲備藥品、也接觸不到槍械，”她說，“你要讓他們一直懷有的自殺念頭難以付諸實施。”
Suicide is more common than in the past
自殺比過去更普遍
Myth
迷思
Suicide rates in the U.S. have remained relatively constant over the past several decades, and may even have slightly decreased.
在過去的幾十年里，美國的自殺率相對穩(wěn)定，甚至還可能略有下降。
Still, youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are more than twice as likely to commit suicide today compared to 50 years ago. And, worldwide, suicide rates have increased by about 60% in the last 45 years, according to the World Health Organization.
不過，與50年前相比，如今15-24歲年齡段的年輕人的自殺率是那時的2倍多。而從全球范圍來看，根據(jù)世界衛(wèi)生組織的統(tǒng)計，在過去的45年中，自殺率上升了約60%。
Treatment cuts suicide risk
治療能降低自殺風險
Fact
事實
\"There are not a lot of ways to prevent suicide at this point,\" says Dr. Valenstein. \"But successful treatment of any underlying psychiatric disorder is very important and can reduce suicidal thoughts, particularly among older people.\"
“目前還沒有很多方法可以防止自殺，”瓦倫斯坦博士表示，“但對任何可能與自殺有關的精神疾患的成功治療十分重要，它可以減少患者自殺的念頭，這一點在老年人中表現(xiàn)得尤為明顯。”
She adds that a popular concern that antidepressants can actually raise the risk of suicide among patients under the age of 25 is most relevant during the first few weeks of therapy.
她補充說，人們普遍擔心的抗抑郁藥實際上會增加25歲以下患者的自殺風險的問題，最可能出現(xiàn)在治療的頭幾周。
\"If you successfully treat depression,\" notes Dr. Valenstein, \"suicidal ideation declines.\"
“如果成功治療抑郁癥，自殺的想法就會減少?！?/font>
Suicides can trigger \"copy cat\" attempts
自殺可以引起仿效行為
Fact
事實
Exposure to others who have committed suicide may \"reduce some of the barriers to people thinking of doing it,\" says Dr. Valenstein.
瓦倫斯坦博士表示，接觸那些自殺者的訊息可能會“為一些想自殺的人減少障礙?！?/font>
She points out that this link has helped write new rules for responsible journalistic reporting. For example, journalists now typically refrain from going into detail or sensationalizing death from suicide.
她指出二者之間的關聯(lián)對出臺負責任的新聞報道的新規(guī)定起到了一定作用。比如，記者們現(xiàn)在報道自殺事件時通常都會比較克制，避免描述太多細節(jié)或?qū)λ劳鲞^分渲染。
\"They usually finish up any story with a reference to a hotline so that distressed people reading it will reach out for help rather than being tempted to emulate,\" Dr. Valenstein adds.
瓦倫斯坦博士補充說，“他們通常在每篇報道的結(jié)尾附上熱線電話，這樣那些心情抑郁的人們讀了這篇報道后會去向別人求助，而不是受到誘惑仿效這種行為。”
Fewer people are calling hotlines
打熱線求助的人少了
Myth
迷思
One way to reach out for help is to call a suicide hotline. Use of this support has been on the rise among veterans in recent years in response to increased publicity, says Dr. Valenstein.
向別人求助的一個途徑是撥打自殺熱線。瓦倫斯坦博士說，由于加大了宣傳力度，近年來在退伍軍人中使用這種方法求助的人增多了。
Veterans can call the general hotline at 800-273-TALK and press \"1\".
退伍軍人可以撥打統(tǒng)一的熱線電話800-273-TALK，然后按“1”。
\"But anyone can call the hotline for advice, even if they are worried about someone else,\" adds Dr. Valenstein.
“不過任何人都可以打這個熱線咨詢，即使是因為替別人擔心也可以。”瓦倫斯坦博士補充道。
Suicides are more common on weekends
自殺更多發(fā)生在周末
Myth
迷思
While Wednesdays are notorious for being \"bumpy,\" and Tuesdays, in some studies, have been found to be the deadliest for suicides, Dr. Valenstein and her colleagues identified a different weekly peak—Monday.
雖然星期三是出了名的“不順”，還有一些研究指出星期二的自殺死亡率最高，但瓦倫斯坦博士和同事們發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個與上述結(jié)論不同的高峰日——星期一。
In an unpublished study that they recently completed, they found that the most suicides fall on Mondays.
在一篇最近完成、尚未發(fā)表的研究中，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)最多的自殺事件發(fā)生在星期一。
Dr. Valenstein says that, while it is not clear from studies so far which day is most common for suicides, they do seem to occur near the beginning of the week. \"I would assume that the start of the work week is a more stressful time for people.\"
瓦倫斯坦博士解釋說，雖然從目前為止的研究中，還不能肯定哪一天自殺最常見，但它們似乎確實發(fā)生在臨近一周開始的時候。“我會認為工作日的第一天帶給人們更大的壓力?！?/font>
Men are at greater risk
男性自殺的風險更高
Fact
事實
While three times more women than men attempt suicide, four times more men than women actually kill themselves.
盡管嘗試自殺的女性比男性多3倍，但自殺成功的男性比女性多4倍。
More than half of suicides in the U.S. are completed with guns. This violent and usually irreversible route is the choice of most men. However, Dr. Valenstein notes that the most common method among women is poisoning, typically an overdose of medication, the result of which is less often lethal.
美國超過半數(shù)的自殺事件都是用槍完成的。大多數(shù)自殺的男性選擇的都是這種暴力且通常無法挽回的方式。而瓦倫斯坦博士指出，女性最常用的自殺方式是服毒，尤以服用過量藥物為典型，這種自殺方式比較不致命。
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