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DEPSUICID
Thought about death during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months
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Codes and Frequencies



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Description

For sample adults age 18+ who (1) felt sad, blue, or depressed (DEP2WKEV), (2) for all day long, most of the day, or about half of the day (DEPDAYAMT), (3) for every day or almost every day (DEPHOWOFT), for 2+ weeks during the past 12 months, DEPSUICID reports responses to the question, "Did you think a lot about death -- either your own, someone else's, or death in general during those two weeks?" The reference period for DEPSUICID was the two-week period during the past 12 months when the feelings of being sad, blue, or depressed were the worst.

Related Variables for Scoring Major Depression

DEPSUICID was part of a series of mental health questions constituting the NHIS version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview - Short Form (CIDI-SF) screening scale for major depression. More specifically, DEPSUICID was part of a group of questions on major depression with dysphoric mood (feeling sad, blue, or depressed).

 

According to the Field Representative's Manual for 1999, this set of questions was included "to determine if the Sample Adult has been or still is depressed in the past 12 months and, if so, how it affected them physically and emotionally, how long it has affected them, how they dealt with these problems, and how much these problems interfered with their life or activities."

After passing three screening questions (DEP2WKEV, DEPDAYAMT, DEPHOWOFT), respondents received an additional series of questions on symptoms of major depression with dysphoric mood. DEPSUICID was part of this series of symptom questions.

 

The other questions dealing with symptoms of depression with dysphoric mood related to the following:

  • Lost interest in most things during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPLI)
  • Felt more lethargic during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPLETH)
  • Weight gained/lost/same during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPWT)
  • (For respondents whose weight changed) Amount of weight change during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPWTAMT)
  • (For respondents whose amount of weight change was unknown) Weight changed 10+ pounds during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPWT10)
  • Had trouble sleeping during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPINSOM)
  • (For respondents who had trouble sleeping) How often had trouble sleeping during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPINSOMOFT)
  • Had trouble concentrating during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPCONCEN)
  • Felt worthless/no good during 2+ weeks sad/blue/depressed, past 12 months (DEPNOGOOD)

Respondents who answered "Yes" to the DEPSUICID question about whether they thought a lot about death, or who gave affirmative answers to other symptom questions, were asked supplemental questions about the length of time they felt sad, blue, or depressed and about the effects of these symptoms on their lives (see DEPWKNO).

Respondents who answered "Yes" to the question associated with DEPSUICID received one point in the scoring system for major depression with dysphoric mood (a scale running from 0 to 7, with 3 or more classified as a probable case of major depression with dysphoric mood).

 

Additional points were given for affirmative responses to other symptom questions; see DEP2WKEV for details on the other CIDI-SF variables and the calculation of major depression scores.

Comparability

This variable only occurs in 1999.

In 1999, a similar question, "Did you think a lot about death -- either your own, someone else's, or death in general during those two weeks?" (DEPLISUICID), was asked of sample adults age 18+ who passed the screening questions for major depression with anhedonia (loss of interest in pleasurable activities) (DEPLIFUN, DEPLIDAYAMT, DEPLIHOWOFT). Only persons who were skipped out of the survey section related to dysphoric mood (and who thus did not answer the question for DEPSUICID) received the question associated with DEPLISUICID.

Universe

  • 1999: Sample adults age 18+ who felt sad/blue/depressed at least half the day for at least almost every day for 2+ weeks during the past 12 months.

Availability

  • 1999

Weights