September marks National Suicide Prevention Month and a chance for all of us to think again about what we can do against this huge public health problem and the number two killer of Vermonters between the ages of 10 and 34. While we’ve seen increased attention and resources devoted to suicide, there is still a […]
Tags: depression, prevention, suicide
Suicide and suicide attempts remain a major public health problem. There is now evidence that after years of decline, suicidal behavior is once again on the rise. In Vermont, suicide is now the number two killer of older adolescents. One can only imagine the attention and public health response that would occur if something like […]
To keep in mind National Suicide Prevention Suicide Week as well as to offer some hopeful news, this week’s post summarizes a recent study from the American Journal of Psychiatry that claims to have found a gene that is related to suicidal behavior. It is somewhat of a complicated study with multiple samples (it’s hard […]
Tags: depression, ska2, suicide, suicide gene
Suicide remains a leading cause of death and is a major public health concern. Studies have demonstrated that many individuals who die by suicide often see their primary care physician soon before the event. Thus, it is important to know whether suicide screening might potentially prevent some of these tragic deaths. To that end, the […]
Tags: primary care, screening, suicide, US Preventive Services Task Force
Of note, this post is adapted from a similar one that appeared last week in my Psychology Today blog. From many headlines today, it is easy to get the impression that children and adolescents are struggling more than ever these days. At the same time, the mental health system designed to help our kids and […]
Tags: child mental health, substance use, suicide, teen pregnancy
One of the many disturbing aspects of youth suicide is the concern that they can be “contagious” in the sense that one suicide or suicide attempt increases the risk that others around them will follow suit. A recent study that surveyed thousands of Canadian adolescents did indeed find that having a schoolmate that died by […]
Tags: copycat suicide, suicide, suicide contagion
The recent tragedy surrounding the attempted suicide in Walpole NH reminds us all that the danger of youth suicide remains active in our own backyard. Drawing upon the recently blogged Vermont Youth Suicide Prevention Platform and the new website http://www.umatterucanhelp.com , it is worth thinking again about some suggestions for parents and primary care clinicians. […]
Tags: depression, suicide
In 2004, the FDA mandated that all antidepressants carry a black box warning related to the risk of new suicidal behavior. This warning generated a great deal of attention and controversy leading up to the warning and in its immediate aftermath, as data showed a subsequent drop in antidepressant prescription and an 18% increase […]
Tags: antidepressants, suicide
