American Foundation Research Articles

Investigation of Non‐Caspase Mediated Mechanisms of Death in Response to Treatment with Novel Chalcone in Glioblastoma Cell Lines

Despite recent advances in cancer treatments, there is still a paucity of therapeutic options for patients with glioblastoma. We previously reported the efficacy of the synthetic chalcone, RK6, against A‐172, T98G, and U87‐MG human glioblastoma cell lines (IC50 values: 10–20 μM). Despite the moderately potent anticancer activity of RK6, the mechanism of death and putative drug target has yet to be elucidated. Previous efforts to identify potential mechanisms of death included evaluation of executioner caspase activation and production of reactive oxygen species. However, these pathways were found to be not largely involved. As such, further investigation of non‐caspase mediated forms of cell death were performed.To rule out necrosis as a mechanism of death for RK6, a trypan blue exclusion assay was conducted to examine membrane destabilization. Cellular membranes remained intact following treatment with RK6 at concentrations greater than the IC50 for six hours, suggesting necrosis is not the mechanism of death.We then sought to determine if cysteine proteases such as calpains or cathepsins were involved in the observed cell death following RK6 exposure. For this, cells were co‐treated with RK6 along with selective and non‐selective calpain and cathepsin inhibitors followed by measurement of cell viability using the XTT cell viability assay. Sublethal concentrations of the calpain and cathepsin inhibitor, N‐Acetyl‐Leu‐Leu‐Norleucinal (ALLN), selective calpain inhibitor, calpeptin, and selective cathepsin B inhibitor, CA‐074‐Me, were used to interrogate these signaling pathways. Inhibition of calpains and cathepsins concomitantly using ALLN had no effect on the efficacy of RK6 in the A‐172, T98G, and U87‐MG glioblastoma cell lines. Similarly, inhibition of cathepsin B with CA‐074‐Me did not affect the efficacy of RK6. Interestingly, inhibition of calpains with calpeptin resulted in a synergistic cytotoxic effect in all three cell lines. The results of these studies suggest that inhibition of calpains further sensitizes the cells to RK6, however concomitant inhibition of calpain and cathepsins does not provide the same effect. Further investigations are ongoing to investigate the nature of the synergy between RK6 and calpeptin and the potential role of other forms of mediated cell death, such as necroptosis, caused by this synthetic chalcone.Support or Funding InformationThis project was supported in part by an American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Gateway to Research Award for the second author.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

The marine natural product coibamide targets expression of HER family receptors

Natural products have historically been a significant source of inspiration for drug design and development, particularly in the areas of cancer and infectious disease. The utility of natural products as drug leads is attributed to the fact that these molecules have evolved to bind specific biological targets and have the potential to reveal new aspects of cell signaling. We previously reported the discovery of coibamide, a cytotoxic N‐methyl‐stabilized depsipeptide isolated from a marine cyanobacterium growing within Coiba National Park, Panama. Initial testing of coibamide in the National Cancer Institute in vitro 60 (NCI60) cancer cell line panel revealed pM to nM potency as a growth inhibitor, an unmatched selectivity profile and histological selectivity for breast, CNS‐derived tumors, ovarian and colon cancer cells.We have undertaken studies to determine the mechanism of action of coibamide and have determined that coibamide selectively targets the ER secretory pathway. To date, these relatively rare natural products are known for their ability to selectively inhibit biosynthesis receptor tyrosine kinases, growth factors and cell adhesion proteins. We studied the relative expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) proteins in human HER2‐amplified and triple negative breast cancer cells following exposure to coibamide. Coibamide inhibited expression of HER family members with differential sensitivity (EGFR=HER3<<HER2). Time‐ and concentration‐dependent decreases in HER protein expression were accompanied by a dampening in AKT/MAPK signaling. Coibamide promoted proteasomal degradation of HER family proteins consistent with the action of an ER secretory pathway inhibitor. These results suggest that coibamide preferentially inhibits the biosynthesis of a subset of ER secretory pathway proteins to induce cancer cell death rather than a total inhibition of cellular secretory function. The HER family of proteins are associated with drug resistance and treatment failure in response to many modern, targeted anti‐cancer medicines and thus this work has the potential to reveal a new way to target HER signaling.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by the Oregon State University (OSU) College of Pharmacy, the American Brain Tumor Association (JEI) and an American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE) Pre‐Doctoral Fellowship in the Pharmaceutical Sciences (JDS)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Mathilde Krim: doyenne of AIDS research funding in the US

Credit: Annie Leibovitz In the beginning, there was Mathilde Krim. Amid the darkness, despair, and scientific ignorance of AIDS, when rumour, panic, and victimisation flourished, she was a beacon of...

Ulysses, Blindness, and Accessible Modernism

Can James Joyce's Ulysses be read with the ears instead of the eyes? This essay considers what difference it makes to listen to one of the modernist era's most formally experimental narratives. Its use of the term encapsulates attempts to make a literary movement notorious for its difficulty accessible in alternative formats to people with disabilities. Sound recording helped make modernism accessible to blind and partially-sighted people in particular. Talking books, or narratives read aloud by professional actors onto a set of phonograph or gramophone records, made it possible for those who struggled to read in the conventional way to engage Joyce's novel in an alternative medium from print. What follows is a close examination of the measures taken by the American Foundation for the Blind to remediate Joyce's novel into sound despite concerns that it was either too daunting or too transgressive. The essay proceeds to show how the ensuing recording preserved a surprising number of bibliographic elements of Joyce's novel while at the same time dispensing with others and even, in some instances, generating new meanings altogether.

Making accessibility more accessible to publishers

Making accessibility more accessible to publishers

Reply by Authors.

No AccessJournal of UrologyAdult Urology1 Jan 2018Reply by Authors View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.07.106AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail "Reply by Authors." The Journal of Urology, 199(1), pp. 213–214 References 1 : Beyond phonosurgery: considerations for patient-reported outcomes and speech therapy in transgender vocal feminization. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg2017; 157: 349. Google Scholar 2 : Suicide Attempts Among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults: Findings of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. New York: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Los Angeles: The Williams Institute2014. Google Scholar © 2018 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 199Issue 1January 2018Page: 213-214 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2018 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Errata.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2017.023358.] and [This corrects the article DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2017.712001.].

Audiologists’ Role in Managing Patient Suicide Risk

Audiologists’ Role in Managing Patient Suicide Risk

Suicides of Young Physicians Raise Alarm About Burnout Among Trainees

Suicides of Young Physicians Raise Alarm About Burnout Among Trainees

Suicidal ideation and behavior in institutions of higher learning: A latent class analysis

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among undergraduate students, with an annual rate of 7.5 per 100,000. Suicidal behavior (SB) is complex and heterogeneous, which might be explained by there being multiple etiologies of SB. Data-driven identification of distinct at-risk subgroups among undergraduates would bolster this argument. We conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) on survey data from a large convenience sample of undergraduates to identify subgroups, and validated the resulting latent class model on a sample of graduate students. Data were collected through the Interactive Screening Program deployed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. LCA identified 6 subgroups from the undergraduate sample (N = 5654). In the group with the most students reporting current suicidal thoughts (N = 623, 66% suicidal), 22.5% reported a prior suicide attempt, and 97.6% endorsed moderately severe or worse depressive symptoms. Notably, LCA identified a second at-risk group (N = 662, 27% suicidal), in which only 1.5% of respondents noted moderately severe or worse depressive symptoms. When graduate students (N = 1138) were classified using the model, a similar frequency distribution of groups was found. Finding multiple replicable groups at-risk for suicidal behavior, each with a distinct prevalence of risk factors, including a group of students who would not be classified as high risk with depression-based screening, is consistent with previous studies that identified multiple potential etiologies of SB.

T. C. Boyle’s The Harder They Come: Violence in America

AbstractT. C. Boyle’s fifteenth novel The Harder They Come (2015) offers a fictional inquiry into the American propensity for violence and takes its title from Jimmy Cliff’s 1972 reggae song and its motto from D. H. Lawrence’s characterization of the “essential American soul [as] hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer” (1978: 68). The article investigates how Boyle creates a metafictional historiography by combining two unrelated historical events – the bare-handed killing of a mugger by an elderly American veteran in Costa Rica and the long police hunt for the schizophrenic murderer Aaron Bassler in the Mendocino Redwoods – with a fictional character who represents the paranoid fringe worlds of sovereign citizens. The article then shows how Boyle embeds his plot in a general atmosphere of menace and incorporates the legend of the heroic mountain man John Colter, thus adding historical depth and evoking the world of wilderness survivalists. It also examines the narrative techniques, such as the choice of a schizophrenic’s point of view, and the stylistic features employed in order to fuse these ingredients into a thrilling tale that reveals the hidden relations between American foundation myths and the threats of contemporary gun violence.

Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Ketotifen Fumarate in Reduction of Post-traumatic Elbow Joint Contracture

Grant support received from: American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand There is no financial information to disclose. Post-traumatic joint contractures (PTJC) are a significant complication following intra-articular injuries. Our research has established that a myofibroblast-mast cell-neuropeptide axis underlies the joint capsule fibrosis that limits motion of the human elbow and a rabbit knee model of PTJC.1-3 In our rabbit model, we have established that Ketotifen Fumarate (KF), a mast cell stabilizer, prevents growth factor release and decreased contracture severity by 50% concomitant with decreased measures of fibrosis.2-4 We hypothesized that oral KF would decrease elbow PTJC severity, compared with placebo, in patients with intra-articular elbow fractures and/or dislocations. A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing 6-weeks of oral KF 5 mg twice daily to a lactose placebo in patients sustaining distal humerus (AO/OTA 13) and proximal radius +/- ulna (AO/OTA 21) fractures. The primary outcome measure was flexion-extension range of motion (ROM) arc at 12-weeks post-injury. Secondary outcomes included the Disabilities of the Arm, Hand and Shoulder (DASH) score, complication rate, and fracture healing. Statistical analysis consisted of chi-square for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variables. Multiple linear regression based on robust estimators was used to assess the adjusted effect of KF. 145 participants were randomized (76 KF, 69 placebo). There were no significant differences between the two groups for baseline characteristics including age, sex, side of injury, hand dominance, pre-injury work status, time to randomization, injury types, and operation; all P > 0.05 (Table 75-1). The 12-week follow up rate was 88% in the KF group and 89% in the placebo group. There was no significant difference between the treatment groups in the primary outcome measure, serious adverse event rates, or (re) operation rates; P > 0.05. But there was a significant difference between operative and non-operative groups on extension-flexion arc of motion (P = 0.03). Fracture healing at the time of analysis found 48% of participants in each group had achieved union. •Patients requiring surgical treatment, as a surrogate for increased injury severity, demonstrated increased PTJC.•The greater loss of motion at 12 weeks in the operative sub-group will inform future Phase III multi-centre injury inclusion criteria to elbow fractures or dislocations requiring surgical treatment.•Several measures of safety were compiled that confirmed the safety of Ketotifen in elbow fractures or dislocations.Table 75-1Baseline CharacteristicsCharacteristicKetotifenPlaceboAge – years, mean (SD)46.7 (18.3)44.4 (13)Sex – female (%)41 (54)29 (42)Side of Injury – right (%)32 (42)26 (38)Hand dominance – right (%)63 (83)56 (81)Work status – employed (%)56 (74)52 (75)Injury to randomization – days, mean (SD)3.7 (2.1)3.7 (2.1)Injury Fracture Type 13 (distal humerus): Type 21 (proximal radius +/- ulna)11:517:48Injury Dislocation Posterior1212Operation – yes (%)34 (45)31 (45) Open table in a new tab This research was supported by a 2012 Clinical Research Grant from the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand.

Effectiveness of household lockable pesticide storage to reduce pesticide self-poisoning in rural Asia: a community-based, cluster-randomised controlled trial

SummaryBackgroundAgricultural pesticide self-poisoning is a major public health problem in rural Asia. The use of safer household pesticide storage has been promoted to prevent deaths, but there is no evidence of effectiveness. We aimed to test the effectiveness of lockable household containers for prevention of pesticide self-poisoning.MethodsWe did a community-based, cluster-randomised controlled trial in a rural area of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Clusters of households were randomly assigned (1:1), with a sequence computer-generated by a minimisation process, to intervention or usual practice (control) groups. Intervention households that had farmed or had used or stored pesticide in the preceding agricultural season were given a lockable storage container. Further promotion of use of the containers was restricted to community posters and 6-monthly reminders during routine community meetings. The primary outcome was incidence of pesticide self-poisoning in people aged 14 years or older during 3 years of follow-up. Identification of outcome events was done by staff who were unaware of group allocation. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT1146496.FindingsBetween Dec 31, 2010, and Feb 2, 2013, we randomly assigned 90 rural villages to the intervention group and 90 to the control group. 27 091 households (114 168 individuals) in the intervention group and 26 291 households (109 693 individuals) in the control group consented to participate. 20 457 household pesticide storage containers were distributed. In individuals aged 14 years or older, 611 cases of pesticide self-poisoning had occurred by 3 years in the intervention group compared with 641 cases in the control group; incidence of pesticide self-poisoning did not differ between groups (293·3 per 100 000 person-years of follow-up in the intervention group vs 318·0 per 100 000 in the control group; rate ratio [RR] 0·93, 95% CI 0·80–1·08; p=0·33). We found no evidence of switching from pesticide self-poisoning to other forms of self-harm, with no significant difference in the number of fatal (82 in the intervention group vs 67 in the control group; RR 1·22, 0·88–1·68]) or non-fatal (1135 vs 1153; RR 0·97, 0·86–1·08) self-harm events involving all methods.InterpretationWe found no evidence that means reduction through improved household pesticide storage reduces pesticide self-poisoning. Other approaches, particularly removal of highly hazardous pesticides from agricultural practice, are likely to be more effective for suicide prevention in rural Asia.FundingWellcome Trust, with additional support from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chief Scientist Office of Scotland, University of Copenhagen, and NHMRC Australia.

Editorial introductions

Editorial introductions

News, Announcements, and IASP

Free AccessNews, Announcements, and IASPPublished Online:September 29, 2017https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000505PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreAnnouncementsThe XVII World Congress of Psychiatry of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) is taking place October 8–12, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. For more information go to http://www.wpaberlin2017.com/The International Summit on Suicide Research of the International Academy of Suicide Research (IASR) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is taking place November 5–8, 2017, in Henderson, NV, USA. For more information go to http://suicideresearchsummit.org/The 51st Annual Conference of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), entitled "Integrating Science, Experience and Political Will: Informed Action to Prevent Suicide," is taking place April 18–21, 2018, in Washington, DC, USA. For more information go to http://www.suicidology.org/Annual-Conference/51st-Annual-Con​ferenceThe 30th Annual Healing After Suicide Conference of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is taking place April 21, 2018, in Washington, DC, USA. For more information go to http://www.suicidology.org/Annual-­Conference/30th-Annual-Healing-ConferenceThe 2018 Conference of the International Society for the Study of Self Injury (ISSS) is taking place June 22–23, 2018 in The Hague, Netherlands. For more information go to http://itriples.org/2018-meeting/The Bi-Annual Australian Grief and Bereavement Conference of the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement is taking place June 2018 in Sydney, NSW, Australia. For more information go to https://www.grief.org.auThe 17th European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour (ESSSB) is taking place September 5–8, 2018, in Ghent, Belgium. For more information go to http://www.esssb17.orgInternational Association for Suicide PreventionWould you like to join IASP?IASP is a nonprofit organization for those interested and working in suicide prevention. The membership consists of individuals (clinicians, scientists, crisis workers, volunteers and persons who have lost a family member by suicide) and community, national and international organizations. At this moment the membership extends over 50 countries and is affiliated with the World Health Organization as the key organization concerned with suicide prevention.The main objectives of IASP are:–to provide a common platform for all representatives of the many professions who are engaged in the field of suicide prevention and crisis intervention;–to allow interchange of acquired experience in this area in various countries, especially through the exchange of literature;–to promote the establishment of national organizations for suicide prevention;–to facilitate the wider dissemination of the fundamentals of effective suicide prevention to professional groups and to the general public;–to arrange for specialized training of selected persons in the area of suicide prevention in selected training centers;–to carry out programs of research, especially those which can be pursued through international joint cooperation.The activities of the association focus on the importance of sharing information, research and knowledge in order to address the issues of suicide and its prevention. The biennial congress, the bimonthly journal Crisis, biannual newsletter and the website serves as a medium for international exchange and a directory of members involved in suicidology is made available.Candidates for IASP membership may apply directly to the Central Administration Office membership@iasp.info or join IASP online at http://www.iasp.infoMembership consists of:–Regular membership for individuals regularly engaged in suicide studies, clinical management of suicidal patients, and/or suicide prevention activities, and who are interested in furthering the work of the Association.–Organizational membership is for national or international voluntary or other nonprofit organizations (incorporated or unincorporated) working in the field of suicide studies, clinical management of suicidal patients and/or suicide prevention activities under the terms of their governing document.–Associate membership is for individuals and organizations who are interested in working toward the goals of the Association, but who are not qualified for regular membership.Please contact the IASP Central Administration Office at membership@iasp.info; on the web at http://www.iasp.infoIASP membership fees (include a subscription to Crisis):Membership feesIASP Executive Committee 2015–2019President: Prof. Ella ArensmanVice President 1: Prof. Murad M. KhanVice President 2: Prof. Steve PlattVice President 3: Prof. Maurizio PompiliGeneral Secretary: Prof. Jane PirkisTreasurer: Dr. Mort M. SilvermanRepresentative of the Council of Presidents: Prof. Diego de LeoIASP Council of National Representatives 2015–2019Co-Chairs: Dr. Loraine Barnaby and Prof. Thomas NiederkrothentalerFor a current listing of the IASP Council of National Representatives please refer to https://www.iasp.info/council_of_national_representatives.php#natrepFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 38Issue 4July 2017ISSN: 0227-5910eISSN: 2151-2396 InformationCrisis (2017), 38, pp. 278-279 https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000505.© 2017Hogrefe PublishingPDF download

DEVELOPMENT OF AN IPSC-BASED BIOMARKER STRATEGY TO IDENTIFY NEUROREGENERATIVE RESPONDERS TO ALLOPREGNANOLONE

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a national and global epidemic with complex pathoetiology including compromised brain metabolic activity and decreased regenerative capacity. Allopregnanolone (Allo) is an investigational neuroregenerative therapeutic, currently in Phase 1b clinical trial for AD (NCT02221622, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02221622?term=NCT02221622&rank=1). In rodent preclinical models, Allo promotes neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and neural differentiation and improves mitochondrial function. To develop biomarkers to predict regenerative response to Allo, we have initiated proof of concept analyses to determine the impact of Allo on human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-derived neural cells. T-cells from Allo clinical trial participants were reprogrammed via a non-integrating, non-viral method, to iPSCs. Additional iPSCs were provided by the University of California Irvine Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (UCI-ADRC) and the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. Using dual inhibition of SMAD signaling, iPSCs were differentiated to NSCs. Mitochondrial respiration and regenerative capacity were determined by metabolic analyzer and FACS. Analyses were conducted to determine the regenerative and bioenergetic effect of Allo on clinical trial participant iPS-derived NSCs. Within the cell lines of the first cohort of participants, after Allo treatment, 40% had increased NSC proliferation (mean increase 14% versus vehicle) and also bioenergetic capacity (mean increase 13% versus vehicle). These participant cell lines have been labeled ‘responders’, while those that did not have increased NSC proliferation or metabolic capacity are ‘non-responders’. These data demonstrate that Allo promotes regeneration and mitochondrial function of iPSC-derived NSCs in a subset of clinical trial participants. In order to translate these in vitro data to be clinically relevant, the next step is to analyze this cell data for correlations with the clinical trial cognitive and imaging data. These data form the foundation for developing the first biomarker of regenerative potential in brain to determine and monitor response to allopregnanolone as a regenerative therapeutic. Research supported by NIH/NIA U01AG031115 and UF1AG046148 to RDB; NIH/NINDS R00-NS07743 and the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation to JKI; NIH/NIA AG005142 to HCC; UCI-ADRC funded by NIH/NIA Grant P50 AG16573; USC Provost Fellowship, CIRM Predoctoral Research Traineeship, and American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Fellowship to CMS.

Drinking Water From a Firehose

Drinking Water From a Firehose

Loss of Partner to Suicide Increases Risk of Mental Health Problems, Death

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical and Research NewsFull AccessLoss of Partner to Suicide Increases Risk of Mental Health Problems, DeathVabren WattsVabren WattsSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 May 2017https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.4b14AbstractPeople who have lost a spouse to suicide are at a greater risk of posttraumatic stress disorder than those bereaved by other causes.The death of a loved one can cause significant stress for those grieving, increasing the risk of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. A study published March 22 in JAMA Psychiatry shows that for people who lose a spouse to suicide, the risk of adverse mental and physical health outcomes may be even greater. Yeates Conwell, M.D., urges mental health professionals to be aware of the broad range of adverse mental health and physical health problems that can occur in patients bereaved by a spouse’s or partner’s suicide.Yeates Conwell, M.D.“With close to 45,000 suicide deaths in the United States every year, there is increasing recognition of this public health problem,” said study co-author Yeates Conwell, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and co-director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “However, the toll that suicide takes on the loved ones left behind has received much less attention,” he told Psychiatric News.The findings highlight the importance of personal and professional interventions for people whose lives have been impacted by the death of a spouse or partner to suicide.Conwell and colleagues used national registries from Denmark to identify and gather information on 15,607 people aged 18 and older who had lost a partner or spouse to suicide since 1970. The researchers analyzed data on the health of the surviving partners from 1980 to 2014—comparing outcomes with those who lost partners to causes other than suicide and those reported in the general population. The researchers found that compared with the general population, people who lost a partner to suicide were at greater risk of all mental disorders, including mood disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, alcohol use disorder, and self-harm within five years of the loss (men: incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.8; women: IRR, 1.7). The group also had higher risks for developing mental disorders than spouses who lost partners to causes of death other than suicide (men: IRR, 1.7; women: IRR, 2.0); with mood disorders (men: IRR, 1.7; women: IRR, 1.3) and PTSD (men: IRR, 5.6; women: IRR, 3.6) particularly heightened.“While previous studies have linked spousal suicide to depression and death by suicide, the current study extends our knowledge of which mental disorders might arise after the suicide of a spouse,” the authors wrote.Those bereaved by suicide were at a greater risk of death than the general public and those who lost a partner to death unrelated to suicide. Most notably, the suicide rate was higher among the spouses of those who had died by suicide, with a marked increase in risk within the first five years after the initial suicide. “Right now, we know that those who remain behind following a spouse’s suicide carry as a group increased risk for greater disease burdens and for premature mortality compared with peers,” Eric Caine, M.D., a co-director of the Center for the Study of Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester Medical Center, wrote in a related editorial. “Thus, they deserve sustained attention beyond support during their time of acute grieving to promote health and to stave off potentially predictable, longer-term adverse consequences.” The study was funded by the American Foundation for Suicide and Prevention and the Danish Health Insurance Foundation. ■An abstract of “Association Between Spousal Suicide and Mental, Physical, and Social Health Outcomes” can be accessed here. The accompanying editorial, “Does Spousal Suicide Have a Measurable Adverse Effect on the Surviving Partner?,“ is available here. ISSUES NewArchived

Film to Explore Factors Contributing to Physician Suicide

Film to Explore Factors Contributing to Physician Suicide

News, Announcements, and IASP

News, Announcements, and IASP