After a Suicide Attempt: What Now?

If you’re in agony over the suicide attempt of your loved one, no doubt you’re perplexed as to the best course of action to take. What should you expect? What should you do? In fact, this is the most critical time – immediately after an attempted suicide. But, what, exactly should you do now?

Short-Term Planning

The first thing to do is to ensure the person is stable. This will most likely require hospitalization, depending on the method of the attempted suicide and how life-threatening the situation is at the present. The suicidal person cannot be left alone during the days immediately following the attempt. They are not rational, and, contrary to popular belief that once they’ve tried to commit suicide and failed, they won’t attempt it again, the truth is that many times they are likely to try it again at some time in the future. … Continue Reading

Young and Old: Populations at Greatest Risk of Suicide

Isn’t it ironic how we feel about age? When you’re young, you can’t wait to be older so you have more freedom to do what you want. When you’re old, you often wish you could just be young again. The fact is, however, that both populations – young and old – have one thing in common: they’re at the greatest risk of suicide.

Emotional distress may have a lot to do with it, along with physical disabilities or conditions, substance abuse, and other factors. We’ll look more in depth at some of the causes of suicide among the young and the old in a minute, but first, let’s examine some statistics. … Continue Reading

Phone Treatment Program Found Effective in Treating Depression

Depression can be a life-consuming ailment for both the individual suffering from the condition and his or her family. Recent research found that those patients who participate in a structured telephone program to manage their depression actually experience significant benefits and only a moderate increase in health care costs.

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How to Beat the Holiday Blues

By Leslie Thompson

Although many people find the holiday season to be full of joy and merriment, millions of people find themselves depressed, lonely, and deeply sad during the holidays. This condition—commonly referred to as the holiday blues or holiday depression—can occur throughout the year, but becomes heightened during the months of November and December, when holiday cheer is in full bloom. The symptoms of holiday depression may resemble those of clinical depression, and there are several triggers.

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Friends and Your Mental Health

By Leslie Thompson

Most people will attest to the fact that friendships play an important role in one’s life. A good friend is there for you during the good times and the bad, through thick and thin, and during moments of despair and those filled with joy. Friends are priceless. But do friendships actually affect an individual’s psychological state and mental well-being? There is a new theory that friendships—whether good or bad—have an impact on an individual’s mental health for the positive and the negative.

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Research Finds Persistent Job Insecurity Impacts Worker Health

In an environment where job security is not always present, new research findings suggest that persistent job insecurity poses a major threat to worker health. This study, out of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, used long-term data from two nationally representative sample surveys of the U.S. population to assess the impact of chronic job insecurity.

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Bipolar and Blue: Does It Matter What Culture You Belong To?

Bipolar mental illness, along with schizophrenia, affects people in different cultures all over the world. These biologically based and possibly inherited tendencies are part of the human condition, it seems. Yet there are also regions of the planet, and cultural “islands”, where the bipolar tendencies toward depression and suicide are less common, or less severe. And then there are a few areas where they are more severe. So does culture matter in the prevention and care of bipolar spectrum disorders? Three core elements create some of the major differences between cultures in ways that may matter: location –where a culture is located and the environment from which it draws sustenance and meaning; food — what foods a culture eats the most; and social structure –what kinds of relationships make up the community and how they structure the every day lives of the people of that culture. … Continue Reading