María Dolores Braquehais Conesa, M.D., Ph.D. “I am constantly amazed by man’s inhumanity to man”Primo Levi (1919-1987) War can be defined as a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations. About 30 armed conflicts are occurring now around the globe involving more than 25 countries (1). The majority of […]
Masahito Fushimi, M.D., Ph.D. Escalating sharply in 1998, the suicide rate in Japan increased steadily during the 1990s and has remained high ever since. Presently, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries (1). To address this grave situation, the Japanese government announced its resolve to tackle the rise in suicides and […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric disorder which is frequently comorbid with depression (1,2). A few years ago, I proposed the concept of post-traumatic mood disorder (3). I have suggested that some or all individuals diagnosed with comorbid PTSD and depression have a separate psychobiological condition that can be termed […]
María Dolores Braquehais Conesa, M.D., Ph.D., Leo Sher, M.D. November 6, 2009. Although at this point it is not clear why an Army psychiatrist at Fort Hood Army post killed and injured many fellow servicemen (1), the recent event may be related to mental health problems. This incident reminds us about the importance of protecting […]
Steven Lippmann, M.D. There are pros and cons to everything. That applies to the internet and even to the internet and committing suicide. In October, 2009, it was reported by the Associated Press that last year a nurse from Minnesota gave step-by-step instructions over the internet on how to kill oneself to a man in […]
Leo Sher, M.D. A research group from the Portland State University and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, has published an important report on firearm suicide among veterans (1). The authors analyzed the data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). Currently, 17 states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New […]
Diana Zambrano-Enríquez, M.D. Suicide is a major public health problem, one of the leading causes of death and one of the first causes of years of life lost. It is a voluntary act that can be carried out by men and women, children and adults, rich and poor, people of every race and religion. For […]
Hristina K. Koleva, M.D. and Jess G. Fiedorowicz, M.D., M.S. Over the last decade, online shopping has rapidly grown in popularity and continues to grow with the global base of online shoppers increasing 40% over a recent two year period (1). Convenience, selection, and ease of use may facilitate further growth. However, the availability and […]
Maria Dolores Braquehais Conesa, M.D., Ph.D. Impulsivity is a relatively new concept used mainly since the nineteenth century in the Occidental realm to refer to the old idea of control of passions. Nowadays, impulsivity is studied as a personality dimension as well as a diagnostic category (“Impulse Control Disorders”). From another point of view, neurobiologists […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Suicide rates in the U.S. military are rising. American troops are taking their own lives in the largest numbers since records began to be kept in 1980. In 2008, the Army reported 128 suicides among active duty and mobilized National Guard and Reserves personnel (1). In 2007 and 2006, 115 and 102 […]
