Assessing suicide risk in young males with mild depression

Abstract

Background: Mild depression is associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation. This study compared the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy alone and pharmacotherapy combined with dimension-based psychotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms and suicide risk.

Methods: In this prospective, randomized, hospital-based study, 26 young adult males (18–35 years) with mild depression (HAM-D 10–14) and suicidal ideation were randomized to receive pharmacotherapy alone (n = 13) or pharmacotherapy plus dimension-based psychotherapy (n = 13). Depressive severity and suicidal ideation were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI) over eight follow-up visits.

Results: Both groups showed significant reductions in HAM-D and BSI scores during follow-up (p < 0.001). However, the combined therapy group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms from the second follow-up and suicidal ideation from the sixth follow-up onward.

Conclusion: Pharmacotherapy combined with dimension-based psychotherapy was more effective than pharmacotherapy alone in reducing depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, supporting the integration of structured psychotherapy into the management of mild depression.