A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

There are scores of reasons why a given individual might think about or consider suicide, and many of them are deeply personal. But sometimes, the cause of such thoughts and overwhelming feelings may have a lot to do with the local environment, an issue which mental health professionals, public health workers, and governments are especially concerned about addressing. Recently, an extensive survey was carried out in parts of China which described a strong link between various uses and storage methods of common pesticides and incidences of suicidal thoughts. The survey was conducted following rising concerns over national suicide rates and outcry over the use of organophosphates, pesticides which have been banned in most Western countries but which are still employed in many parts of the world.

The survey examined the mental health and suicidal ideas primarily in farmers and their families living in rural areas. With large amounts of the organophosphate pesticides used to grow various crops, those living in such areas are easily able to absorb low dosages through the lungs and skin. Farmers and others who live in rural environments are exposed to the pesticides through the consumption of contaminated crops, and may also receive unhealthy dosages by storing the pesticides in unsafe ways or in excessive amounts. Over time, this exposure may lead to mental health issues, a side effect which has resulted in the discontinuation of organophosphates in the west. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Longwood Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

The prevalence of online interactions and communications means that many young people are experiencing a greater portion of their social lives over the internet, a trend which researchers from the University of Victoria posit may be of use to suicide and violence prevention efforts. The researchers have developed a keyword-parsing model which identifies phrases and words associated with risky behaviors, and offers those social networking bloggers identified the option to respond to the question of how they’re doing. A response that they’re not doing well and need help leads them to a site containing appropriate information and resourceful links, in an effort to prevent harmful actions.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Tucson Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Commonly-held ideas about the superiority of mental health and personal well-being in many European countries are often backed up by statistics about the average workweek in such countries, and among the nations with the most coveted working conditions, France is typically vetted as the best. With shorter, thirty five hour weeks, ample time for lunch breaks, and generous vacation packages, French jobs are often considered to be especially luxurious and beneficial for the avoidance of stress and other taxes on mental health. A recent series of suicide incidents, both attempted and successful, at a major French organization, however, has brought the national working conditions into question, under a particularly bright media spotlight.

France Telecom, a major employer, has recently been hit with thirty eight suicides–-twenty four of which have been successful–within the past twenty months. A remarkably high number of attempts and successful suicides, the figures have created an outrage amongst the public as well as throughout the company itself, where workers complain that a new modernization and globalization scheme has created excessive stress and disappointment among employees. Some of those who ended their lives and their careers-–or attempted to do so–at the company left notes or otherwise described unacceptable management and excessive criticism. Throughout the country, in fact, a push towards integrating traditional French business values and practices with those of the United States and other leading economies has suggested that workers are enjoying their famously relaxed conditions less. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Tempe Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Suicide is a tragic even that many mental health professionals have taken as central to their careers and fields of study. Hoping to decrease the rates of suicide throughout the population and to develop and distribute effective and meaningful care for those in pain, professionals who work with suicide as a subject of study are typically on the lookout for factors that play a role in thoughts and feelings about suicide, attempts, and successful terminations. One study concentrating on suicide recently performed at the University of Lund in Sweden examined how age and past behaviors relating to suicide impact successful attempts. With a broad participant group collected from hospital records from over thirteen years, the researchers set to work to question how multiple suicide attempts, along with their severity, might interact with age in the determination of likelihood that a given subject would commit suicide.

The study found that in general, the likelihood of suicide decreased with age, however both sexes were correlated with certain behaviors that indicated an increased risk as they became older. Specifically, women who had participated in a large number of suicide attempts were significantly more likely to successfully commit suicide as they aged, and men who were associated with severe attempts were indicated for a greater occurrence of completed suicide. The risk factors of repetition and severity were not seen in equal measures between men and women. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Louisville Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

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A large percentage of those who commit suicide each year do so while experiencing the effects of alcohol dependence, a mental health and behavioral concern which can engender great feelings of powerlessness and have a negative impact on many areas of life. Recently, a study conducted by the Prevention Research Center and Texas A & M University has sought to investigate any links between the density of bars and other alcohol “outlets” and suicide rates. While there was some correlation between these factors, researchers found that rural areas had higher rates of alcohol-related suicide. The study may prove useful in efforts to combat alcohol dependence and suicide.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Santa Monica Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Those with concerns over the risks of suicide and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among young people who are given anti-depressant medications may be alarmed at recent news that the EMEA, or European Medicines Agency, has given its stamp of approval to prescriptions of Prozac for children eight years of age and older. The approval comes after the the British government asked Prozac’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly, to apply for the approval from the EMEA. Despite acknowledgment that some children will benefit from the move, opponents worry that long waiting lists for psychotherapy and a tendency to over-prescribe medications may result in negative consequences.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Miami Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Though suicide can be devastating to friends and loved ones when it occurs, a brief look at statistics shows that around thirty two thousand people commit suicide in the United States each year –a number that, while reflecting tragic events, seems fairly small next to the country’s large population. Yet a recently published government survey shows that up to eight million Americans seriously consider suicide each year, a figure that reflects a growing need to offer help hotlines and more readily available mental health care to those in distress. The survey was based on responses from more than forty six thousand people, and found that young people are significantly more likely to consider suicide than those entering their senior years, information which may further help the establishment of greater national suicide prevention services.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Fullerton Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Issues concerning rapidly rising rates of the development and consequences of PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder, among active duty soldiers and those returning home have received ample attention in the news recently. With statistics that point to larger numbers of soldier suicide than in-combat casualties in some instances, the need for developing greater measures to prevent mental health decline and address the issues as they arise in military personnel is clear. In response, the military has been pouring a great deal of funding and effort into various attempts at approaching the issue, but at least one agency, the Veterans Administration in Boston, has found great initial difficulties due to an apparent lack of interest or willing participation among soldiers.

While it is to be expected that a certain percentage of people will not have any wish to participate in initial trials and programs, the considerably low rates –one program has secured thirteen participants out of a needed 135– suggest that there is strong prejudice against the initiatives. Some point to the stigma of mental health concerns within the military as likely being responsible for the low response rates. Others suggest that the very symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and other issues support the idea that nothing can help, making participation seem pointless. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist San Antonio Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Nearly everyone can recall an experience –or a handful of them– with nightmares, memories of crawling into their parents’ bed or strolling down the hall for a refreshing glass of water after a particularly harrowing dream being one of the elements that serves to unite childhoods across the country and around the world. Nightmares don’t subside for plenty of people, however, and some experience more disturbing dreams than others. For some people, particularly those who are suffering from concerns in their personal, social, and professional lives, nightmares can be debilitating. Recently, this issue has made it to the forefront of the mental health industry for its implication in the risk of suicide.

Though other symptoms such as depression are more commonly associated with suicide, the prevalence of nightmares in suicidal thoughts and behaviors has been a growing subject of interest for mental health professionals. While most people experience occasional bad dreams, chronic sufferers of nightmares may be internalizing their pain or engaging in other thoughts or activities that don’t serve their overall well-being. A recent study led by a psychology doctoral candidate at Florida State University has investigated the link between nightmares and suicide, and has found that the unpleasant and terrifying dreams are significantly and independently associated with suicidal symptoms. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Woodland Hills Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Though Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, has been associated with warfare and military personnel for many decades, recent years have shown that United States soldiers return from active duty overseas with worryingly high rates of the mental health concern as well as other symptoms. Rising rates of soldier suicide, which were reported at just under 130 between the beginning of the year and July (a higher number of fatalities than were reported during actual combat), along with other complications have led the military to begin soliciting ideas for mental health programs and diagnostic devices to aid in the early detection and, hopefully, prevention of the disorder.

© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Sacramento Bureau - All Rights Reserved.