Giving Support to a Mentally Ill Family Member

adminMental Health Leave a Comment

When a loved one is diagnosed with a mental illness, it can throw the whole family into a tailspin, rife with self-doubt, suspicion, guilt, and helplessness.  How we respond to the illness of a family member can make all the difference to their recovery and the rebuilding of the family’s foundations. Through many years of practice, we have evolved some …

Crisis Resources in the Bay Area

Peter ForsterOther Psychiatric Disorders, Self Care Leave a Comment

Colleagues at UCSF shared this list of resources for people in a crisis in the Bay Area. We share this here in the hope that it can be helpful. Please let us know if there are corrections or updates… Alameda National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK Substance Use Treatment & Referral Helpline: 1-844-682-7215 Crisis Support Services Suicide Prevention: (800) 309-2131 …

Deaths of Despair Anthony Bourdain Suicide

Deaths of Despair – Suicide & Self Injury Crisis in US

Peter ForsterMajor Depression, Policy Leave a Comment

The news of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade’s death by suicide as well as the CDC’s report on increasing suicide rates in the US reminds us of a larger public health crisis that was given the name “deaths of despair” by researchers Case and Deaton (see below). We have been collecting information on this topic in preparation for an effort …

Ketamine Reduces Suicidal Thoughts

Peter ForsterTreatments of Depression Leave a Comment

A single infusion of ketamine reduces suicidal thoughts in depressed patients in one day, with benefits lasting for up to one week, according to a meta-analysis reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Further, ketamine did not seem to be just treating depression, it seemed to have an effect on suicidal thinking that was greater than its effect on depression “This suggests that …

Where is the Outrage About Suicide?

Peter ForsterMajor Depression, Policy

A wonderful editorial in JAMA Psychiatry highlights the overwhelming evidence that stigma is continuing to drive underfunding for treatment and prevention of suicide deaths. Suicide and “accidental” overdose deaths are an epidemic in this country. Since 1999, the rate of suicide deaths increased by 28.2%, and this probably underestimates the increase because there is evidence that coroners are categorizing more and …

Chronotherapy for Depression Treats Suicidality

Peter ForsterInsomnia Treatment, Major Depression, Treatments of Depression

Chronotherapy for depression may be a very fast and effective treatment for suicidality, according to a preliminary study just published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. 10 inpatients received what was called “triple chronotherapy” and showed dramatic and rapid reductions in suicidal ideation and depression. Of course this is a very small sample and only one study. But it points …

Active Treatment

Peter ForsterAbout GPS

Why are we so insistent that people in “active treatment” at Gateway Psychiatric, have to always have a future appointment, and must discuss with us the issue of visit frequency? Why don’t we let them come in when they feel the need? Today we were meeting with someone who was asking all of those questions and who also, in many …

Biomarker for Suicidality

adminTesting, Treatments of Depression

A just published study by Jerry Guintivano, et al, in the July issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry reports having identified a gene that seemed to predict suicide. The study used one population to identify the risk association and then confirmed it prospectively in a second population. Zachary Kaminsky, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at …