Psychiatric patients who have attempted suicide and are mostly likely to try again to end their lives are some of the least likely to follow up with mental health treatment after being released from a hospital, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

The resource center and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommend that a discharged psychiatry patient should be sent home with “linkage to certain and effective treatment,” according to the 2011 publication, “Suicide Attempts and Suicide Deaths Subsequent to Discharge from an Emergency Department or an Inpatient Psychiatry Unit: Continuity of Care for Suicide Prevention and Research.”

Unfortunately, even discharged patients with  suicide risk may not receive the follow-up psychological treatment they need.

Nationally recognized  Texas suicide lawyer Skip Simpson considers  standard of care (patient safety rules) for suicide patients to be of utmost priority at all times, including the days and weeks after an Emergency Department or inpatient  mental health facility discharges a patient.

Unfortunately, however, frequently suicidal patients do not always get the mental health care they need. “Many patients never make it to their first follow-up appointment,” says the report, “and many that do, do not remain in treatment long enough for continuing care to be successful. For both EDs (emergency departments) and inpatient discharges, the risk for suicide attempts and death among all age groups is highest immediately after discharge and over the next 12 months to four years. “

Simpson concurs. “The standard of care requires that all suicide risk assessments be documented in the record,” he explains. “If a clinician fails to perform, or improperly performs, an assessment, or if the clinician unreasonably underestimates the patient’s risk, she may well be liable if the patient dies by suicide, or makes a suicide attempt. Failure to take certain actions is unacceptable.”

With over 36,000 people taking their own lives every year in this country, it is vital for anyone who was recently released from a psychiatric unit or ED to follow up with proper mental health treatment. Those first few hours, days, and weeks after discharge are when a suicidal person is most vulnerable and may try to take his or her own life. Skip Simpson stresses this research perfectly matches what he sees in his practice over and over again.  He reviews about 50-60 suicide cases every year and hears suicide survivors say “if I had only known.”  This blog is an attempt to give loved ones the knowledge they need before a tragic attempt occurs.  It is also at attempt to give clinicians an opportunity to avoid the pain of having their patient seriously harm or kill themselves.

If you are a clinician who is reading this blog please get the training you need. Demand the training from your place of employment. If your employer will not provide the training because of budget concerns take the time to train yourself.  There is plenty of information on the internet to enable you to become more competent in suicide prevention.  Families are handing their loved ones over to you so you can keep them safe until they are properly treated.

If your loved one committed suicide or attempted suicide, whether as an inpatient or after coming home from the hospital or emergency room, you need an experienced suicide attorney. Call  Skip Simpson Attorneys and Counselors at 214-618-8222 or complete our online contact form. We understand what you are going through and can fight hard to pursue the compensation you and your family deserve.  Moreover, sadly it seems the only way clinicians, hospitals and emergency rooms will change their dangerous care is by paying the consequences for their poor care.

A final note.  Mr. Simpson rejects many more cases than he accepts. Not all attempted suicides are the result of incompetent care.  Mr. Simpson and the experts he retains distinguishes the cases where law suits are needed from those where no law suit should be filed.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson

2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300

Frisco, Texas 75034

Depression and anxiety typically hit people hardest when they are going through difficulties of one kind or another, such as the loss of a loved one, divorce or illness, which are a common cause of despondency. If that person’s sadness becomes severe most loved ones and physicians will encourage him or her to seek psychological care and perhaps medical support such as a suicide psychiatrist, long before any risk of suicide became evident. One cause of an increase in suicidal thinking, or suicidal tendencies, that many families and physicians don’t consider, however, is economic hardship and it is an issue that is all-too germane to many Americans now struggling with personal financial crisis.

The results of an in-depth, decades-long study recently came out which showed direct correlations between economic downturns and sharp spikes in suicide rates. Conducted by the Centers For Disease Control from 1928 to 2007, the 79-year survey revealed that more people committed suicide during financial crises—such as when the stock market fell in 1929, during the aptly named Great Depression, and the Oil Crisis of the 1970’s—than during periods of expansion. The saddest aspect of these figures is that better suicide prevention strategies were very likely not considered necessary, despite the increase in suicidal victims of economic hardship.

Texas suicide lawyer Skip Simpson believes this study is germane to what is happening in this country today and that it serves as a wake up call to all doctors, nurses, counselors and working with mental health patients, particularly psychiatric doctors. “It is vital,” he insists, “that all healthcare professionals—intake nurses, general practitioners and mental health practitioners alike—take into account a patient’s financial situation when discussing his or her mental health problems.”

Experts at the CDC agree. “Knowing suicides increased during economic recessions and fell during expansions underscores the need for additional suicide prevention measures when the economy weakens,” said James Mercy, Ph.D., acting director of CDC’s Injury Center’s Division of Violence Prevention. “It is an important finding for policy makers and those working to prevent suicide.”

The study, entitled “Impact of Business Cycles on the U.S. Suicide Rates, 1928–2007”, is the first to investigate the relationships between suicide rates and the economy. In 1932, the last full year in the Great Depression, suicides increased by 22.8%, a record in any four-year period in history. It is noteworthy that the study found the greatest link between business cycles and people who commit suicide who were of typical working ages: 25-64 years old.

When people are dealing with being laid off from work, a subsequent home foreclosure or having to make drastic lifestyle changes such as ending up homeless, being dependent on relatives or going on welfare, depression and anxiety can set in. We’ve all read those stories about they guy who killed himself the day after he lost his job or the woman who took her own life after ending up on the street due to bankruptcy. It is vital that psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists examine every aspect of a patient’s life situation, so that they administer proper mental health care, including anti-anxiety and anti-depressants if indicated. If a patient attempts suicide while in the care of a doctor or there was as an in-patient suicide at a mental health facility, an improper diagnosis or poor decisions to properly protect the patient is a basis for a medical suicide malpractice case.

If you lost a loved one due to a medical practitioner’s failure to properly recognize suicide risk and implement suicide prevention measures, you need an experienced suicide attorney who can help you seek the justice you deserve. Contact Skip Simpson Attorneys and Counselors by calling 214-618-8222 or completing our online contact form. We know what you’re going through and can fight for your rights.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson
2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Frisco, Texas 75034

Over the last ten years, several studies have shown a link between weather and suicide risk and that, as the thermometer reading goes up, so does the likelihood that people with depression will take their own lives.

A team from London’s Institute of Psychiatry, which analyzed over 50,000 suicides in England and Wales from 1993 to 2003 found that suicidal tendencies rose when average daily temperatures went over 64° F, or 18° C.  The study, which appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry, also showed that each further temperature increase of just one degree centigrade, or a few in Fahrenheit, was associated with an almost 4% increase in suicides.

Renowned Texas suicide lawyer Skip Simpson cautions loved ones with family members who are in a mental health facility to be particularly watchful. Because psychiatric facility inpatient suicides can occur due to failed 15-minute monitoring level suicide watch, incorrect diagnosis or improper medical decisions to protect, hospitalized suicidal patients can be particularly vulnerable to seasonal depression, anxiety and suicide.

Dr. Gavin Lambert, Ph.D., author of a study conducted at the Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia also discovered a season-suicide connection. That study, which was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined suicide rates over a 10-year period and found a link between the length of the day and the number of suicides, and that more people do themselves in during warm weather months.

Dr. Lambert speculated that the seasonal changes in serotonin levels, which decrease during summer months, could put a suicidal person in danger of killing himself or herself until the brain has adjusted to the new chemical balance.

British researcher Dr. Lisa Page said the L.I.P. findings lead her to believe there are several possible reasons for the link between hot weather and suicide, including mood swings that sometimes come with high temperatures outside. “We felt overall that the most likely explanation was probably a psychological one,” she said, “where for some people you have an unusually high degree of irritability, aggression and impulsivity.”

Suicide can be prevented when consistent, competent care is provided. But the harsh truth is that each year, 36,035 people die by their own hand. On average one person every 14.6 minutes kills himself or herself in the United States. Every 35 seconds someone in the United States will attempt suicide. Every day about 6 inpatients will kill themselves in a hospital, usually by hanging. When natural occurrences such as summer weather increase the risk of suicide, it is yet more reason to choose mental health facilities and practitioners carefully, and to make sure they are well-versed in all suicide research findings.

If your loved one committed suicide or attempted suicide, particularly if it was a case of an inpatient who took her or his own life, seek the guidance of a reliable suicide attorney. Call Skip Simpson Attorneys and Counselors at 214-618-8222 or complete our online contact form. We are compassionate and can help you pursue the justice you deserve.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson
2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Frisco, Texas 75034

Every day in this country, more than 100 people end their lives—an average of one person every 14 minutes—and the numbers are going up each year. Between 1999 and 2009, suicides in this country increased by 12%—a shocking statistic. Second only to the tragedy of those numbers is the sad truth that many members of the mental health profession whose constituency includes those who may be at risk of suicide do not possess the needed skills to competently treat such individuals. Psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists and social workers alike should be able to recognize every suicide warning sign in a patient struggling with suicidal tendencies or suicidal ideation. The harsh reality, however, is that due to glaringly limited training of mental health professionals in the assessment and management of suicidal patients, many lives are cut short.

The problem of insufficient tutelage is complex and widespread. Several studies have shown that, while most psychiatrists receive some form of training in suicide risk assessment and intervention, it is often in passive formats such as seminars and observation, rather than via skill development workshops. For other mental health professionals, suicide assessment and care training is even more woefully lacking. Though surveys have shown that 97% of psychologists-in-training and 87% of social workers had provided care to at least one patient with some form of suicidal behavior, these practitioners typically spend a fraction of their education learning how to help patients with suicidal urges. The dearth of professional training in this specific field has become a dire situation in this country, and many experts are calling for an overhaul of the entire mental health services educational system.

Texas suicide lawyer Skip Simpson recently co-authored an extremely informative report on this topic for the American Association of Suicidology entitled “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.” According to the article, the problem is not only a case of insufficient training, it also pertains to the competence and ethics of each individual mental health worker.

“In fact,” the report attests, “over the years, numerous authors have specifically called into question the ethics of mental health professionals who, without adequate training, provide service to suicidal patients. Each of the mental health disciplines has ethical codes which stipulate, in slightly different verbiage, that mental health professionals should not provide services that are beyond their area of competence. Yet, a majority of mental health professionals will provide services to potentially suicidal patients for whom they are ill-equipped, and, most importantly, potentially incompetent to treat.”

Any family that has suffered a loss due to suicide—whether it was a young person who was bullied, a hospital inpatient or a mental health facility resident—needs to establish what level of expertise their loved one’s mental health service providers possessed at the time treatment was administered. If a psychiatrist, psychologist, family therapist or clinical social worker did not have proper mental health training in assessment, care and intervention for potentially suicidal patients, he or she may not have been qualified to offer advice. Should a suicide have subsequently taken place, the family may have legal recourse, including the right to seek compensation, and should consult with a top suicide personal injury attorney. Without corrective action in the courts, it is less likely the mental health industry will fix the problem of poor training.

For a thorough examination of the issue of training, read the full report. And for diligent, knowledgeable legal advocacy, the experts at the Law Offices of Skip Simpson have the wisdom and compassion their clients need in times of distress and crisis. Skip Simpson can fight for the rights of anyone who has suffered from the pain of loss due to a suicide, inpatient suicide or mental health malpractice. Seek the guidance and experience of Skip Simpson. Call us at 214-618-8222 or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson
2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Frisco, Texas 75034

Teenagers face immense pressures, often from all sides—parents, teachers, siblings, employers and, very often, classmates. They are at one of the most difficult times of life, struggling to figure out who they are and what they want to do when they grow up, but also having to navigate through daily outside pressures, expectations, challenges and disappointments. The harsh truth is that teen suicide is more common than most of us think.

In 2009, an average of one young person every two hours killed him or herself. In fact, youth suicide is such a major public health problem in the United States, more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease combined.

More than 4,371 children and young adults take their own lives every year, making suicide the third overall cause of death for people 10 to 24 years of age. Children and young adults account for 14.4 percent of all suicides completed, and it begs the question: Why are there so many hopeless teenagers, who can see no other way to handle life’s challenges? Does it mean there are more cases of suicidal teen depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, drug dependency, abuse disorders and schizophrenia? Or is it a reflection of our society as a whole and that too much exposure to the media or the social pressures of technology are becoming too much of a burden on kids?

According to the American Association of Suicidology, one in 11 high school students made a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. School psychologists have particular insight into the problem, with 86% of those surveyed reporting that they’d counseled a student who had threatened or attempted suicide and 62% attesting that they’ve had a student make a nonfatal suicide attempt at school.

Parents, caregivers, school authorities, pediatricians and child psychologists all need to pay attention to teen suicide warning signs, and as Texas suicide lawyer Skip Simpson knows well, they can be subtle. Most suicidal youths do not tell adults about their distress, and only rarely are the signs recognized by adults, including school personnel or parents, who presumably have the most opportunity to respond with help

Most teens contemplating suicide do show some sort of indication that they are in emotional trouble, but loved ones and school authorities must be very attuned and involved in order to read those signs. A child may become unusually withdrawn, start acting out with drug or alcohol abuse, become sexually promiscuous or have episodes of sheer rage and all could be signs of an underlying teenage psychological problem. Though a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder is present in 80% to 90% of youth who die by suicide, less than one-third of teen suicide decedents or attemptors were receiving treatment at the time of their death/attempt.

Part of the issue is that teenagers live entirely in the moment. It is nearly impossible for them to be able to see that “this too shall pass” and to gain some perspective on what they may perceive as a crisis either academically or in their social group.

A factor in helping reduce adolescent suicides is for parents to stay as involved, compassionate and loving as possible, so that their child knows he or she is not alone and has support every step of the way through those difficult teen years. And if a mom, dad or other loved one has even an inkling that a teen is thinking of suicide, they must act, immediately, by getting that child to a mental health clinician for assessment. If a teenager says anything along the lines of “I want to kill myself,” don’t be fooled by comments that may follow, such as “I was only kidding”. Take anything and everything to do with possible suicide seriously—you could be the one who saves a teen’s life.

The experts at the Law Offices of Skip Simpson Attorneys and Counselors have the wisdom and compassion their clients need in times of distress and crisis. If you or a loved one has suffered from the pain of loss due to a suicide, inpatient suicide or mental health malpractice, you need the guidance and experience of Skip Simpson Attorneys and Counselors. Call us at 214-618-8222 or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson
2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Frisco, Texas 75034

It’s devastating to lose a family member or friend to suicide. Sadly, the suicide victim may have recently seen a medical professional who likely lacked proper suicide prevention training.

Your family member or close friend who died by suicide may have been saved if his or her medical professionals had proper suicide prevention training. Knowing that the medical professional could not help may add layers of grief.

Unfortunately, a lack of suicide prevention training is pervasive among medical professionals. The state of Washington, however, is taking a step in the right direction by considering a bill that would require mental health therapists, social workers, chemical dependency professionals, counselors and others to complete suicide risk assessment and management training. The requirement unfortunately does not apply to physicians or nurses at this time.

The House passed the suicide prevention bill on Feb. 10. Following the House action, the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee heard testimony from health care workers and officials. The bill passed out of committee and will likely pass in the Senate.

One state representative, Tina Orwall, a lead sponsor of the bill who has a background in mental health work, described how difficult it is for family members and health care workers to lose someone to suicide.

According to the Oregonian in Washington, Orwall said, “When I think of the loss of the families, to lose a member, it’s just unbearable to think about.”

The Seattle Times reported that many health professionals aren’t prepared to recognize, assess or treat a suicidal patient – and this includes even mental-health providers.

Dallas-based lawyer Skip Simpson, a leading expert in suicide prevention, co-authored with 7 leading suicidologists around the U.S. “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,” a white paper that was mentioned in House testimony to support the legislation.

Simpson and many suicidologists have been calling for proper training among health care professionals for decades. One myth about suicide is that people who are determined to take their lives will do it, and nothing can stop them. The reality is that a properly trained mental health professional can prevent the suicide if the professional is given an opportunity to treat the patient.

Proper suicide risk assessment is crucial. Improper assessment, or a failure to do one at all, can have tragic consequences. A mental health professional may be liable for failing to conduct a suicide risk assessment, or providing only a cursory examination of risk.

The bill would require mental health providers to attend six hours of training on suicide prevention every six years. If the suicide prevention bill passes, Washington would be the first state to require such training. Given the alarming suicide statistics (every 14.2 minutes, someone dies by suicide in the United States; suicide is the tenth leading cause of death), we hope other states will follow Washington’s lead.

At the Law Offices of Skip Simpson, we understand how devastating it is to lose a family member or friend to suicide. If you lost a loved one, you will need a compassionate lawyer who works hard to hold mental health professionals accountable. Contact a Dallas attorney with a highly successful track record who represents clients nationally. Call 214-618-8222 or fill out our online contact form.