Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Depression Among Doctors Is Rarely Discussed: Academy Of Medicine Tries To Break Taboo
WBUR: National Academy Of Medicine 'Breaking Silence' On Doctors' Distress, Suicide
Rates of depression and suicide are strikingly high among doctors, and The National Academy of Medicine wants to help the profession talk about it. In June, it published "Breaking The Culture of Silence on Physician Suicide," an exploration of the 2013 suicide of a third-year medical student, Kaitlyn Elkins. And now, it has re-posted Dr. Elisabeth Poorman's recent CommonHealth piece — "I Felt Alone But I Wasn't: Depression Is Rampant Among Doctors In Training" — at the top of its website.It has also created the infographic below, to go with the piece. (Goldberg, 10/5)
North Carolina Health News: Youth Suicide: Out Of Balance
Students in Wake County schools learn about suicide in seventh, ninth, and twelfth grades through a program called “Signs of Suicide” that discusses risk factors and warning signs. At the end of the training session, students take a screening assessment and have the opportunity to request an assessment from a nurse, counselor, psychologist, or social worker — a member of the team with specialized training. Any student who requests an assessment will receive one by the end of that school day. (Rhew, 10/5)
California Healthline: New Law Will Expand Mental Health Services For Low-Income Californians
The staff of Clinica Sierra Vista, which has health centers throughout the Central Valley, screened its mostly low-income patients last year for mental health needs and determined that nearly 30 percent suffered from depression, anxiety or alcoholism. Christopher Reilly, Sierra Vista’s chief of behavioral health services, said he was concerned about the high percentage of patients afflicted, but even more so about the clinic’s ability to treat them. (Gorman, 10/6)
The Newnan Times-Herald: Mental Health Crisis Training For Officers Expanding
Teaching law enforcement officers to identify, understand, and defuse situations when people they are interacting with are having mental health crises is the goal of Georgia’s Crisis Intervention Team training... A significant part of the class is teaching law enforcement to recognize the various disorders, and the signs and symptoms of people experiencing them. (Campbell, 10/5)
