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The present research evaluated depression and anxiety in patients undergoing mastectomy during their pre-surgical and post surgical phases. A Pre-Post Research Design was used. Sample consisted of 50 married mastectomy patients, selected from the Surgery Department of Mayo Hospital, Hameed Latif Hospital and Jinnah Hospital of Lahore, Pakistan. Each subject was individually administered Depression Scale and Anxiety Check-List twice; that is: 1–7 days before and 1–7 days after surgery. The mastectomy patients showed greater depression and anxiety ( t = 1.68; df = 48; * p < 0.05) in the pre-surgical phase as compared to their post surgical phase probably due to the emphasis on body image and long-term psychosocial and sexual conflicts associated with the loss of this organ.

This study compared suicide potential and suicide attempts in 50 Pakistani and 50 American psychiatric patients all of whom reported a positive history of suicide attempts during the past 1-5 years. It further explored the role of nationality, gender, diagnosis, and marital status in respondents' potential for suicide and suicide attempts. The American sample reported a higher degree of suicide potential on the Firestone Assessment of Self-Destructive Thoughts (FAST), more suicide attempts, and a larger number of suicide precipitants (family conflicts, work pressure, wish for death, loneliness, financial problems, and mental disorders/drug withdrawal) than did the Pakistani sample. For suicide attempts, effects of 3-way interaction for gender, marital status and nationality were found significant. However, these effects were non-significant for respondent's potential for suicide. In addition, the FAST was found to have a significantly high correlation with suicide attempts. Thus, it may be inferred that the FAST can be used as a valuable screening instrument for the identification of patients at risk for suicide in diverse cultural settings. However, more prospective validity studies are needed to enhance our cross-cultural understanding of suicide; identification of psychiatric patients at risk for suicide by the FAST; and for effective treatment and prevention programs for Eastern and Western societies.

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