Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'No One Is Impervious:' College Counselor's Suicide Sends Up Warning About Importance Of Professionals Also Seeking Help
USA Today: Who Helps The Caregiver? Penn Counselor's Suicide Highlights How Experts Aren't Immune From Struggles
When University of Pennsylvania counseling center director Dr. Gregory Eells died by suicide earlier this month, many expressed shock that the tragedy involved an expert in the field of mental health. But college counseling directors nationwide say they can face a struggle to seek help and support amid mounting pressures in their jobs. Their message? No one is immune to the public health issue of suicide. (Cohen, 9/21)
Kaiser Health News: Want To Reduce Suicides? Follow The Data — To Medical Offices, Motels And Even Animal Shelters
As the Washington County epidemiologist, [Kimberly Repp] was most accustomed to studying infectious diseases like flu or norovirus outbreaks among the living. But in 2012 she was asked by county officials to look at suicide. The request led her into the world of death investigations, and also appears to have led to something remarkable: In this suburban county of 600,000 just west of Portland, the suicide rate now is going down. It’s remarkable because national suicide rates have risen despite decades-long efforts to reverse the deadly trend. While many factors contribute to suicide, officials here believe they’ve chipped away at this problem through Repp’s initiative to use data — very localized data that any jurisdiction could collect. Now Repp’s mission is to help others learn how to gather and use it. (O'Hagan, 9/23)
