Professional News

Several Signs Should Alert Clinicians to Suicide Risk
By Aaron Levin

The winner of this year's Manfred S. Guttmacher Award, forensic
psychiatrist Robert Simon, M.D., argues for a complex approach to
assessing suicide risk.

Robert Simon, M.D.: "Know thy patient" is the key to preventing a
patient's suicide.

There's no such thing as a suicidal patient, only a patient at risk for
suicide, but assessing that risk takes more than a simple yes-or-no
question, said Robert Simon, M.D., in accepting the Manfred S.
Guttmacher Award at APA's annual meeting in Atlanta.

"If a patient wants to kill himself, the doctor is his worst enemy,"
said Simon. Understanding patients and their risk and protective
factors can provide clinicians with a more accurate understanding of
that risk.

http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/

APA Offers New Perspective On Psychiatry and Mental Illness
By Michelle Riba, M.D., M.S.

Psychiatrists stand at a unique intersection: we are where medical
science and mental health meet.

We are differentiated from primary care physicians, even as the
specialty of psychiatry is a key part of the house of medicine.

Likewise, we are distinguished from other mental health care
professionals because we identify and treat the biological causes, as
well as emotional bases, for mental illnesses.

But none of this matters if the public doesn't understand how these
facts can impact their lives. We have to connect the dots.

Association News

Advocacy at APA a Year Later: What Have We Achieved?
By Eugene D. Cassel, J.D.

Eugene D. Cassel, J.D., is director and special counsel of the Division
of Advocacy.

APA's newest division, which integrates three departments involved in
various aspects of advocacy, is already yielding results that benefit
psychiatrists, their patients, and the public.

A year ago APA Medical Director James H. Scully Jr., M.D., announced
the creation of the Division of Advocacy. The move, he said, was to
sharpen the focus of three APA offices and departments-Government
Relations, Communications and Public Affairs, and Healthcare Systems
and Financing-as well as to strengthen our ability to advocate on
behalf of APA members, patients, and the profession.

Legal News

Cost of Malpractice Suits Requires More Than Money
By Eve Bender

Physicians being sued for malpractice can rely on friends and
colleagues for emotional support during the course of the suit while
still respecting legal advice to keep mum about the case's details.

While many physicians are aware of the legal implications of being sued
for medical malpractice, they are often unprepared for the emotional
distress associated with such suits.

[O, geeez.
Where do patients go for support, protection,
and empowerment?]

"Get your OWN damn self out of it ~ !"

"No,
I think you THINK that happened to you,
but I don't know if that REALLY happened to you."

"No,
I have no obligation to report your 'aledged abuse.'"

NO ONE
Should ever have to BEG
Their doctor of 5 years to see them
In a life-threatening emergency.

NO ONE
In therapy should be psychologically abused
And humiliated and blamed ~
Especially during a life-threatening crisis.

NO ONE
Should go a year without appropriate
Support and assistance for an abusive and destructive
Therapeutic relationship.