Clinical Practice SWES Practice Exam

As a patient begins to show signs of recovery from depression, what is the social worker's concern regarding suicide likely to do?

1. Decrease

2. Remain the same

3. Depend on whether the patient was medicated

4. Increase

The correct answer is: Increase

When a patient shows signs of recovery from depression, the concern regarding suicide is likely to increase. This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors. As individuals begin to recover, they may gain enough energy and motivation to act on suicidal thoughts or plans they previously lacked the energy to carry out. Recovery can also bring forth a period of emotional clarity where patients may reflect on their experiences, leading to heightened distress or a renewed contemplation of their circumstances. Furthermore, during recovery, fluctuations in mood may occur, and while a patient initially begins to feel better, they could also be experiencing underlying feelings of hopelessness or despair that could surface. It's important for social workers and mental health professionals to maintain vigilance during this transitional phase and ensure that appropriate support is in place to manage any emerging suicidal ideation. The other options suggest that the concern would either decrease, remain the same, or hinge upon medication status, which doesn’t fully encapsulate the complexities of recovery from depression and its impacts on suicidal thoughts and behavior.