In January 2013, the San Antonio Express published an article drawing attention to the high number of military suicides. Chron.com pointed out that this was a major problem both on the national level as well as within the state of Texas.

Suicide negligence attorney Skip Simpson knows that many veterans are struggling with PTSD, joblessness and other mental, physical and social problems, which are contributing to higher suicide rates. We urge veterans’ health administrators, lawmakers and all mental health professionals to provide veterans with the help and support they need to try to curb the record number of suicides that are occurring.

Veteran Suicides Occurring at Record Numbers

According to Chron.com, the number of military suicides was at a record high in 2012, with 516 military suicides occurring across all branches of the military. Those in the army were most likely to commit suicide, with a total of 325 army suicides. The army deaths accounted for two-thirds of all military deaths-by-suicide in 2012.

The San Antonio Express also indicated that approximately one military suicide occurred every 18 hours over the course of the year. This record-high number of suicides has been reflective of a recent trend. For example, the San Antonio Express quoted data from the army showing that 1,940 army suicides have occurred since 2003. Further, the total suicides over the past ten years — 3,438 — exceeds the 3,256 combat deaths that occurred among the U.S. and allies in Afghanistan.

While this is a national problem, there are also issues local to Texas as well. For example, Chron.com went on to report that Crime Clean of Texas has seen a fifteen percent increase in total suicides in 2012 and an increase in military suicides for the past 18 months.

The High Veteran Suicide Rate

The high veteran suicide rate is likely driven by many different factors. The San Antonio Express identifies possible causes of the rise in the military suicide rate, which include:

• Repeated deployments which cause stress.
• A shrinking military.
• A slow economy upon return from deployment, which can make it difficult or impossible to find gainful employment.
• Financial and relationship problems, especially on return from repeated or lengthy deployments.
• Traumatic brain injuries and other wounds inflicted during combat.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• A loss of identity when they are no longer engaged in active duty service or combat.
• Difficulty reintegrating into their families and communities.

The military has recognized the problem and is trying to take steps to combat it. However, as a Navy spokesman acknowledged to the San Antonio Express, no one has yet found a way to solve the problem.

Education and outreach efforts are in place to try to stop the rising number of suicides, and the military has policies requiring follow-up care for veterans showing a high risk of suicide who are discharged from VA hospitals and facilities. However, ultimately those who are struggling with suicidal tendencies will need to get help from a qualified mental health professional who can properly diagnose and treat their conditions and provide help to prevent suicide. Mental health professionals must also be trained and equipped to spot signs of suicide and respond appropriately.

If you lost a loved  one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson, dedicated to holding mental health counselors accountable. Call  214-618-8222.

When a person is struggling with suicidal tendencies or coping with depression, often the best solution is to seek help from a therapist or a mental health professional. A mental health professional can recognize signs of suicide, take immediate steps to prevent suicide from occurring, and work to create a long-term treatment plan that will help a suicidal person to find another solution.

Unfortunately, in many cases, stigma still remains about asking for help from a therapist or from a mental health professional. Attorney Skip Simpson, who represents families in suicide malpractice lawsuits, believes that this ongoing reluctance among many to get the mental help they need is one of the leading causes of suicide in the United States.

High Suicide Rates Caused by Reluctance to Seek Help

To understand the impact that a reluctance to seek mental help can have, you need only look to the suicide rate in Wyoming. As the Star Tribune’s online website reported, Wyoming has the highest suicide rate in the United States. The state’s suicide ranking has remained in the top five per capita for years, and many of the suicides in the state involve men 50 or older. Many of the suicides also involve death by gunshot wound.

According to the Star Tribune, suicide experts and prevention specialists have been unable to identify the exact reason for such a high suicide rate. However, a therapist at Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center in Cody told the Star Tribune that there were likely three contributing factors to the high suicide rate: a cowboy culture, a rugged individualist mentality, and a stigma about accepting any type of mental health treatment.

While a rural lifestyle is also cited as a strong factor for higher suicide rates, it is the limited access to treatment in these rural areas that likely contributes to the higher rate of suicide. The senior director of research for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention indicated, for example, that rural areas create a sense of isolation, and that there is typically little access to mental health professionals in many small rural communities.

Furthermore, not only is there limited treatment available, but the director also suggested that there is a culture of shame surrounding seeking treatment. As such, people in these small rural communities may be more resistant to acknowledge that they need help or may be more resistant to acknowledge going into mental health treatment.

To help curb the high suicide rates, Wyoming is trying new methods, including providing a psychological autopsy to family members of suicide victims in order to try to better understand the causes of suicide. However, as long as the cultural stigma about getting mental help remains, and as long as people remain reluctant to seek the assistance of a qualified therapist, it is likely that the state will face grave difficulties in significantly reducing the suicide rate.

The statistics from Wyoming, as well as the opinions from the experts show just how important it is to get treatment and just what an essential role therapists and mental health professionals play in helping people to avoid suicide and find positive alternatives.  Getting folks to proper care is important but making sure the clinician is competent to properly perform a systematic suicide assessment and manage the patient is equally important. In a recent publication “Preventing Suicide through Improved Training in Suicide risk Assessment and Care: An American Association of Suicidology Task Force Report Addressing Serious Gaps in U.S. Mental Health Training,” co-authored by Skip Simpson and top national suicidologist details the lack of competence in suicide issues by many clinicians.

If you lost a loved  one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson, dedicated to holding mental health counselors accountable. Call  214-618-8222.

Ashley Riggitano was a budding young fashion designer who ran a jewelry business along with a friend. Tragically, on her 22nd birthday, she jumped from the George Washington Bridge and died. She left behind a suicide note signaling out a man that she was having problems with, along with several friends who had engaged in bullying behavior on Facebook.

The young fashionista’s death is drawing renewed attention to the problem of Facebook bullying. Abusive behavior via Facebook and online social media sources has been the cause of numerous suicides in recent years. This tragic high-profile case is yet another reminder of the serious consequences of online harassment. Suicide malpractice lawyer Skip Simpson hopes that this tragic death draws attention to Facebook bullying and puts us one step closer to ending bullying behavior online in order to prevent senseless deaths from occurring.

The Facebook Bullying and Suicide

Ashley Riggitano was described by her part-time employer as a relatively happy person. Her family and friends indicated that, although she suffered from depression, she did not allow her depression to overshadow her life. She was described as a girl who had outlined specific goals for her future and who was thriving in her jewelry design business.

Unfortunately, a Facebook feud and some negative comments directed at her apparently pushed her over the edge and led her to take her own life. In one of the published comments, as reported by the Daily Mail, a former friend posted on her Facebook page a suggestion that she go kill herself on Xanax. The same “friend” also referred to her as a loser.

Clearly, this negative posting, as well as others posted by five friends identified in Riggitano’s suicide note, was a major contributing factor in causing Riggitano to end her own life. It is likely that those who engaged in the Facebook bullying never actually wanted for the 22-year-old to kill herself. Yet, like so many instances of Facebook bullying, the negative posts had a consequence far greater than the posters would have imagined.

The tragic story of the suicide, along with the specific note indicating that Facebook friends were the cause, will hopefully help to raise awareness further about the severe consequences that online bullying can have. It is important that people realize that these types of actions can truly cause someone to do something drastic and end a life.

Monitoring for Signs of Suicide

Although Facebook may have been one of the causes of Riggitano’s death, she had previously attempted suicide in the past, and she was on medications to fight depression.

This raises questions as to whether she was under the care of a mental health professional. If so, the mental health professional would have responsibilities to properly assess for suicide. It is the job of therapists and mental health professionals to monitor for signs of suicide and to intervene if someone appears to be at risk for suicide.

If you lost a loved  one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson, dedicated to holding mental health counselors accountable. Call  214-618-8222.

Suicide is a problem throughout the United States and is the tenth leading cause of death for Americans. Ultimately, therapists and mental health professionals – when properly trained – are in the best position to stop someone from dying by suicide provided they do their jobs well. However, not everyone is able to get the help they need, and often signs of suicide go unrecognized by peers, parents, loved ones and therapists. A book which helps everyday people to be gatekeepers and protect their loved ones and co-workers is “The Suicide Lawyers: Exposing Lethal Secrets” authored by C.C. Risenhoover. The author interviews Suicide Lawyer Skip Simpson to get his insights on how family members can assist loved ones at risk for suicide.

Some states, however, are making an effort to publicize the signs of suicide and to ensure that people do get the help they need. This year in Utah, for example, KSL reports that a suicide prevention bill is being considered by legislatures. Suicide lawyer Skip Simpson will be watching Utah lawmakers to see if the bill is passed and to see what impact the legislation has on curbing suicide among youth.

The Suicide Prevention Bill

Utah’s proposed suicide prevention bill is being considered along with anti-bullying bills in this year’s legislative session. The anti-bullying bills will supplement the state’s 4-year-old bullying law and are also aimed, in part, at curbing suicide since bullying is a top reason for young people to wish to end their lives.

The suicide prevention bill, however, has a very specific goal. The goal is to expand the Hope Squad program that one school district has tried and to require all schools within the state to implement some of the things that Hope Squad has been doing.

The focus of Hope Squad is to bring parents, peers and students together to teach them about the signs of suicide and to teach them how to respond to suicide. The suicide prevention bill, therefore, would encourage all school districts to come together with parents and students to help prevent suicides through education and support.

Some of the different steps that will be taken may include providing suicide awareness of information, conducting parent seminars, strengthening resources on bullying and improving communication between schools and parents.

Suicide is a major problem in the state of Utah, with two youths and three young adults treated for attempting suicide every single day. Utah also has the 17th highest suicide rate in the country, and suicide is the second leading cause of death both for young adults and adults. The state’s efforts to increase education and to help schools, students and parents fight against this suicide epidemic will hopefully be successful in curbing this silent epidemic.

Can a Suicide prevention Bill Help Lower the Risk of Suicide?

If Utah’s bill passes, it will be important to observe the effects of the bill on the suicide rate. Ultimately, the bill will hopefully be successful provided that parents, schools and students really do recognize the signs of suicide early and provided that people are able to get the help they need. Of course, mental health professionals will also need to be equipped to provide appropriate treatment for those who are considering suicide, since parents and schools alone cannot stop someone who wants to end his or her life. Proper mental health treatment is ultimately the best and only answer to preventing suicide on a long-term basis.

A gun is one of the most widely used methods of committing suicide, and not just among people who own guns. Tragically, there have been many instances of suicidal individuals going to gun shops or shooting ranges that rent weapons and committing suicide on site. One gun shop, Target Sports Shooting Range, which has been the site of two successful suicides and one attempted suicide since September, has now changed its policy to help prevent suicides.  Local officials are also looking for other solutions as well to help curb the problem.

Death by suicide is always tragic, no matter how it occurs.  Suicide attorney Skip Simpson believes that everyone needs to come together to spot signs of suicide and to prevent those who are suicidal from taking the final step to end their lives. While therapists and mental health professionals are often in the best position to prevent suicide from occurring, the efforts made by the gun shop and the change in policy may stop people from getting access to guns and hopefully help to save at least some lives.

Suicides at the Gun Shop or Shooting Range

According to  The Detroit News, Target Sports is a shooting range located in Royal Oak that allowed visitors to the range to rent weapons. Unfortunately, some visitors came to the range with the specific intent of renting a gun to end their lives. While the two suicides and one attempted suicide since September have made headlines in recent months, they are not the only suicides to have occurred at Target Sports. In fact, since 2001, there have been a total of five successful suicides and two attempts there.

The multiple suicides in recent months, however, have prompted city officials, including the mayor, to seek solutions to the problem. Gun shop staff and the RoyalOak Task Force will be working together, looking for solutions and considering what other shooting ranges have done in an attempt to solve the problem.

One change has already been made at the range in an attempt to curb suicide attempts. The new policy at Target Sports is that no one may rent a weapon or time at the gun range any more unless they already have their own weapon. This will hopefully discourage people who believed that the shooting range had provided easy access to guns they could use to end their lives.

A nonprofit organization, Common Ground, has also reached out to Target Sports in order to offer mental health first aid training, suicide prevention material to post at the range, and a crisis response team. Hopefully, their efforts will be able to reach people who come to the gun range with suicidal intentions.

City Commissioner Peggy Goodwin also indicated that raising awareness of suicide will be important since many people are unaware that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The Commissioner expressed concern that many people are not seeking help, and tragically this is a very valid concern.

According to a recent article, some anti-suicide crusaders are trying a novel approach to help prevent suicide deaths. The effort, which takes place in Boston, is called “Happier Boston.” It involves a widespread campaign to cut down on suicide deaths by cheering people up and encouraging people to share their feelings.

Our Dallas suicide attorneys are always in support of every effort to help reduce the number of suicide victims and save people’s lives. While it will be impossible to measure the success of the Happier Boston campaign, such efforts cannot hurt the cause and may encourage more people to open up about the sadness or depression they are experiencing.

The Anti-Suicide Campaign of Kindness

Those in Boston engaged in the anti-suicide campaign are trying a number of tactics including:

• Organizing flash mobs to greet commuters
• Engaging in random acts of kindness
• Performing “blues” songs about common problems
• Encouraging people to record their own blues song on an interactive website.
• Hosting dance parties for people ages 18 and over

The local Mayor supports these efforts as a way to bring attention to mental health concerns and to hopefully provide some cheer to those who are depressed.

Fighting Suicide One Step at a Time

Unfortunately, suicide in many cases occurs as a result of major psychiatric illnesses such as severe depression, anxiety or chemical imbalances in the brain. These chemical imbalances can cause a person to believe they have unsolvable problems.  A dance party or a random act of kindness is unlikely to deter someone who is strongly considering suicide. Still, these efforts might make the difference in encouraging someone to get help from a counselor or mental health provider whose job it is to recognize signs of suicide, to treat the patient and to take action if someone is considering suicide.  If a person struggling with suicide sees a glimmer of hope or sees that someone is reaching out, this can be a turning point that encourages going to a counselor for advice. Getting counseling and proper mental health assistance is the best way to curb suicidal thinking, as long as the counselors do their jobs and are able to recognize that a patient is in need.

Further, by drawing attention to the problem of suicide, more people may be reminded by the Happy Boston campaign that there are others out there who are struggling too, and that they aren’t alone. These individuals, who see people trying to help, may be more inclined to seek out help, especially if they realize that with more people talking openly about suicide, their suicidal thoughts aren’t as stigmatized. Further, if there are people who are suffering from depression that is not severe, the efforts of the anti-suicide crusaders may be effective at helping them to improve their outlook on life or at least in taking the first steps to feel better.

In any case, the bottom line is that the viability of stopping suicides by random acts of kindness is far from a proven science, but the efforts cannot possibly hurt and can only help the cause of fighting suicide.

If you lost a loved  one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson.  Call  214-618-822.

In January of 2013, 26-year-old Aaron Swartz took his own life. His death made headlines because he was a well-known Internet entrepreneur associated with developing the RSS language and with a company that became Reddit. According to CNN, his death is also sparking a combination about the risks of suicide among entrepreneurs.

Our Dallas suicide attorneys know that anyone suffering from a psychiatric illness is potentially at risk of taking their own life, regardless of how famous or successful they seem to be. When a person is depressed or feels out-of-control, they may look to suicide as an answer to their problems. Since business owners often face a lot of stress and pressure, it makes sense that they may be vulnerable to taking their own lives.

Suicide Risks Among Entrepreneurs

Following Swartz’s death, CNN has started a discussion with some other tech experts and business owners. According to their article, the CEO of the Cheezburger websites wrote publicly about being depressed when his first start-up company failed.  In addition, in 2011, a co-founder of a social networking site took his own life, reportedly due to his ongoing struggles with depression coupled with the pressures of building his company.

Swartz himself had admitted publicly that he struggled with depression and had written about it in the past. His suicide may also have been prompted by the fact that he was facing criminal charges for illegally downloading materials using the MIT network. However, even without this catalyst, it is possible he would have lost the battle with his ongoing depression and taken his own life if not properly treated and protected by competent mental health clinicians.

When a person is struggling with depression, he or she needs to get help from qualified professionals to learn how to manage their emotions. In many cases, proper behavioral or talk therapy are viable options for those considering suicide. If the depression is chemical, as it so often is, a counselor may prescribe drug therapy to help fight the bad feelings. Regardless of how treatment is administered, those with severe depression or who are thinking suicidal thoughts will need to get help and the counselors need to respond appropriately to their state of mind.

Mr. Skip Simpson and his professional colleagues, all nationally prominent suicidologists, are striving to train and equip clinicians to improve their competency in assessing suicide. Unfortunately, as CNN discussed in their article on the death of Aaron Swartz, many entrepreneurs and business owners do not feel comfortable admitting they are depressed or opening up about their problems. They may be concerned about the reactions of their employees, customers or investors and may not want to make themselves vulnerable by speaking out.

This feeling that they have to maintain a stoic exterior or that they cannot talk about their depression can make things even worse. This is unfortunate as it can lead to social withdrawal, make one feel like he or she is a burden to coworkers and loved ones, and increase the risk of an attempted suicide.

Tragically, if a person won’t get help, then that individual is more likely to attempt suicide. As the CNN article writes, however, the death of Aaron Swartz is sparking important conversations about the suicide problems among entrepreneurs. These conversations may be a good step in making it possible for all depressed people to get the help they need. A good first step is to obtain “The Suicide Lawyers: Exposing Lethal Secrets” by C.C. Risenhoover. In this book Mr. Risenhoover interviews Skip Simpson on what family members and co-workers can do to protect their loved ones and friends.

If you lost a loved  one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson, dedicated to holding mental health counselors accountable. Call  214-618-8222.

There has long been a misconception that the holidays are the time of year when people are most likely to commit suicide. According to a recent article on Slate, however, this is a myth that the media needs to stop reporting. Providing data from a number of recent studies and expert sources, Slate tells readers that the winter season, including around the holidays, is actually a time of year when people may be less inclined to commit suicide. The time when people are most likely to kill themselves is, instead, during the spring season.

Our Dallas suicide lawyers believe it is important that people have an accurate understanding of the key risk factors for suicides. By knowing when and why someone may be at risk for suicide, you have a better chance of stepping in to get that person the help they need.

Why the Holidays Aren’t a Key Time for Suicides

Many people believe that the holidays are a time when a lot of people commit suicide because lonely people may become desperate at spending the festive season by themselves. In reality, however, data dating as far back as 1812 indicates that the biggest spike in suicides occurs not over the holiday season but instead during the springtime period.

While there is no single definitive answer on why people kill themselves more in spring than during other times of the year, there are a lot of different theories about why suicides may be higher in the spring season. For example:

• Bad winter weather means that people tend to interact and go out less. With people in the “semi-hybernation” mode of winter, they may encounter fewer conflict since they don’t see or interact with as many people. By springtime, on the other hand, everyone comes outside and interacts more and suicidal thoughts may be triggered by this increased interaction.
• Sunshine may trigger suicidal thoughts, according to some psychiatric researchers. Longer days and warmer temperatures may also be more likely to inspire suicidal thoughts, according to various studies. The data on the impact of climate on suicide, however, is controversial and studies on the correlation between climate and suicide tend to contradict each other.
• Springtime allergens can trigger the body to produce anxiety-inducing chemicals, potentially resulting in an increase in the rate of suicide. Some studies have also identified a link between a high pollen count and suicide.

Some experts also indicate that spring energizes people more, which may give them the motivation to take action and actually act on their suicidal thoughts. Winter, on the other hand, can cause people to be less motivated and this can include being less inclined to actually follow through with a suicide attempt.

Watching closely for signs of suicide, loved ones, friends, relatives, therapists and mental health professionals can all help to prevent someone they care about or are responsible for from committing suicide this spring. Every blog on the Skip Simpson web site and the book The Suicide Lawyers: Exposing Lethal Secrets are all targeted to prevent suicide.

This December, the 2012 National Bullying Survey was released. The results are based on the survey responses of principals from more than 2,000 K-12 schools nationwide. Unfortunately, the responses demonstrate that anti-bullying efforts must be increased and that those who are bullied are at risk of suicide.

Our Dallas suicide attorneys urge schools, educators and parents to pay close attention to the results of the survey. To protect students and help to prevent the suicide deaths of young adults, schools must do more to curb bullying and to educate kids using integrated anti-bullying programs so they have a better understanding of just how devastating bullying can be.

Bullying Behavior Puts Kids at Risk

Bullying behavior can be hard for anyone, child or adult, to withstand without experiencing emotional problems as a result. Tragically, despite many anti-bullying campaigns and despite many high profile deaths as a result of bullying, the problem of bullying in schools has not gone away.

As the 2012 National Bullying Survey shows:

• More than 50 percent of middle school principals report that bullying is one of their top five problems.
• 32 percent of elementary school principals name bullying as one of their top five problems.
• 36 percent of high school principals count bullying among their top five issues.
• Only one out of every six principals responding to the survey reported that bullying had decreased as a result of anti-bullying programs or initiatives.
• Cyber bullying has become the biggest bullying issue in a high school setting.

Sadly these results show that educational efforts may not be having a very strong impact at curbing bullying behavior. The respondents to the study, however, indicated that anti-bullying lessons that were integrated into the curriculum tended to be more effective than separate anti-bullying programs.

The Link Between Bullying and Suicide

Tragically, bullying can have a serious impact on the lives of those who are victims and can significantly increase the risk that a young adult will commit suicide. This link between bullying and suicide can be seen in the fact that thirteen percent of high school principals responding to the 2012 National Bullying Survey reported that a student had either attempted suicide or committed suicide because of bullying behavior.

Both physical and verbal abuse can cause kids to think about suicide, and cyber bullying has only exacerbated the problem because young adults may no longer be able to escape the bullying behavior at home. Bullying can reduce a child or teen’s self esteem, inspire fear, make him afraid that the bullying will never end, and cause depression. All of these different outcomes of bullying can trigger suicidal behavior.

Schools need to do more to protect their students from being bullied and to reinforce the lesson that bullying is a terrible practice that should never be tolerated. Integrated anti-bullying programs may be one way to help get this message across. Schools also need to continue to step up both education and enforcement efforts as they have an obligation to provide a safe environment for all of their students and to do everything possible to prevent suicides caused by bullies.

If you lost a loved  one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson, dedicated to holding mental health counselors accountable. Call  214-618-8222.

When we need healing, we look to our doctor.

But what about when it’s the physician that needs the healing? Specifically, what happens when the emotional and physical strain of the work begins to wear a person down?

Our Dallas suicide lawyers understand that medical doctors have extremely high rates of suicide, as compared to the general population – and have for decades. The New York Times rep0rts that for male doctors, the rate is 40 percent higher and for female doctors, it’s 130 percent higher.

The U.S. National Violent Death Reporting System indicates that of 31,000 suicide victims, more than 200 were identified as physicians.

Why is this happening?

Well, we know that students entering medical school enter with the same general mental health profiles as those of their peers. However, many quickly slip into depression, burnout and other mental illnesses at higher rates. Even though they generally have better access to health care, they are more likely to resort to poor methods of coping with these problems, such as excessive drinking, and they are less likely to seek proper care or even realize that they need intervention.

These seems paradoxical, but there may be a number of reasons.

First, medical education, training and practice are rather isolated.

This means that when they do find themselves overwhelmed, burned out or depressed, they are unlikely to seek help. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor found that medical students who were depressed or prone to depression often believed that their peers, faculty, counselors and superiors found them to be inadequate. At the same time, the culture of medical school made these same students feel as if they could not express vulnerability or be any less than perfect.

Secondly, physicians work in a demanding field. They often must put in long and irregular hours. They are often called to do so on little sleep, and may suffer several long-term negative physical and mental health ailments as a result. Not to mention, practicing medicine can be extremely stressful and heartbreaking, especially when you can’t “fix” everyone.

Doctors must often walk a fine line between being compassionate toward their patients, and keeping each case at arm’s length in order to maintain their own mental health.

And thirdly, there is a huge problem with physicians who self-treat, rather than seeking outside help. They may be ashamed to report their internal conflict, or they may feel that to do so could jeopardize their license. They may believe that self-treatment is the only option. However, the risk is that, when their mind is clouded with depression or anxiety, the outcome of these treatments are not likely to be successful.

And finally, physicians have greater knowledge when it comes to dying by suicide and the tools readily available to carry it out. This is a dangerous combination.

Given their increased risk of suicide, hospitals, practices and clinics need to make sure that doctors have easy access to mental health services. Additionally, they need to make sure that these individuals can have a decent quality of life.

Employers have a responsibility to recognize the warning signs of suicide in their physicians and to do everything possible to avoid creating circumstances that contribute to the risk.

Moreover there is an extremely important concept frequently missed by mental health clinicians, the concept of VIP suicides. “When mentally ill professionals and other ‘VIPs’ are treated as ‘special’ at the cost of receiving necessary treatment, the risk for an ‘executive’ suicide is likely increased.  Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk ,  Guidelines for Clinically Based Risk Management  R. Simon, M.D. (2004), p. 184.

Dr. Simon, one of the nation’s leading forensic psychiatrists say “The ED physician  wisely resists the impulse to do a medical colleague a “favor” by discharging him to outpatient care.  He does not fall prey to the “VIP syndrome” by allowing a person in a prominent position to influence medical decision making.”   Clinicians can feel personally threatened by the discovery of mental illness in their colleagues. The examining clinician frequently reacts by denying or by minimizing the patient’s suicide risk, with possible lethal consequences.

Employers have a responsibility to recognize the warning signs of suicide in their physicians and to do everything possible to avoid creating circumstances that contribute to the risk.

If you have lost a loved one to suicide, contact the Dallas Law Offices of Skip Simpson, dedicated to holding mental health counselors accountable. Call 214-618-822.