| Article
Preventing the deaths of Veterans, whether accidental overdoses or suicides, is a high priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The statistics are awful: in the United States, about 17 Veterans a day kill themselves. A committee has been formed to examining the dangers of Veterans taking...
| Article
Can psilocybin—a hallucinogenic chemical obtained from mushrooms—improve mental health in struggling Veterans? Arizona’s legislature may grant $30 million to help researchers find solutions via controlled trials. By studying whole mushrooms and their 100s of compounds, vs the synthetic, 1 molecule...
| Article
Researchers surveyed the use of services—PCP visits, a pharmacist, a school nurse, outpatient appointments for injury—by over 8,000 adolescents (age 11-15) culled from 84 UK schools. Among the findings, adolescents reported
- Pain and suicidality: 9%
- Suicidality alone: 11%
- Pain alone: 13%
- Nei...
| Article
A new study in BMC Psychiatry investigated the connections between people injured on the job, and chronic pain, depression/anxiety, and suicide. During outpatient visits from the 2 largest workers’ compensation hospitals and systems in Chile, over 1,940 patients were evaluated via 3 questionnaires...
| Article
Worldwide, every year there are ~800,000 deaths by suicide, with nonfatal attempts occurring over 20 times for every death. What is the underlying biology of suicide attempts? In the largest study of potential genetic components of suicide, a region of the genome on chromosome 7 containing DNA...
| Article
In an effort to address the healthcare needs of military personnel with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the College of Nursing at the Florida Atlantic University has initiated the M.O.M. project. Mind Over Matter aims to help those with this “invisible wound of war”: TBI affects about 30% of those in...
| Article
According to an article published in the Journal of Pain Research, “chronic headache is the second leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide.” Researchers report the results of a 10 year study of Veterans and chronic pain. Over 3 million Veterans with at least 1 chronic pain condition...
| Article
Over-the-counter analgesics are easy to access and are, for many, a way to control pain. However, a study published in the journal of Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety brought to light some sobering statistics. Almost half a million suicide related cases called in to Poison Control Centers in the...
| Article
Burnout has increased at a disproportionate rate in US clinicians compared to the general working population. It is a significant issue that warrants further attention.
- It is estimated that 39% of US physicians meet symptoms for depression.
- The suicide rate among physicians is 2 times higher...
| Article
In an article published online today at Newsweek.com, researchers report an increase in suicides linked to the use of gabapentin and baclofen. Gabapentin is an antiepileptic, and baclofen is a muscle relaxant and antispasmodic, and they are frequently prescribed for pain instead of opioids. Chronic...