The Kim Foundation Blog features insights, news and resources on mental health and suicide prevention. Check back often to stay updated and informed.
Last month I mentioned that The Kim Foundation was moving forwarded in 2015 with a renewed focus on suicide prevention. As many of you know, suicide remains a public health crisis in our country. In 2012, there were 40,600 reported suicides in America. That equates to someone dying by suicide every 12.9 minutes. That is at least one in the time it will take you to read this newsletter.
While you can find some general information about bipolar disorder on our web site, I was interested in learning more about the differences between bipolar type I and type II. This article will give you a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of the two main subtypes of bipolar disorder.
A new behavioral health job search site was recently launched and is ready to connect you to the latest behavioral health opportunities in Nebraska.
The University of Missouri (MU) School of Social Work and the University of Missouri- St. Louis (UMSL) School of Social Work received $1 million dollars from the United States Health Resources and Services Administration. The three-year grant is designed to provide funding for 84 students pursuing their masters or social work degrees (MSW) at the two universities.
It is that time of year that everyone reflects back on what has occurred over the last 12 months, and what goals they would like to meet during the upcoming year. We here at The Kim Foundation are no different! While we’ve been enjoying the holiday season, we’ve also taken some time for reflection and planning for 2015. We’ve had many successes over this past year, which we are so thankful for, but are also looking forward to new initiatives in the coming year.
A study by Paul Amminger and Patrick McGorry of Australia’s University of Melbourne and Monika Schlogelhofer of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, conducted a study which suggests that fish oil may reduce the risk of psychosis. NAMI defines psychosis as the experience of loss of contact with reality, and is not part of the person’s cultural group belief system or experience. Psychosis typically involves one of two major experiences, hallucinations and delusions.
The death penalty is a topic that often stirs up strong emotions. This already controversial punishment becomes even more sensitive when a crime is committed by an individual with a severe mental illness. Recently, there has been world-wide media coverage on one Texas homicide case.
College campuses around the country are beginning to realize the importance of educating their students on mental health and suicide prevention. In 2012, suicide became the second leading cause of death among college students, and nearly 1 in 4 individuals 18-years-old and older will be affected by a mental illness each year (DontBeSidelined.com).
A new state of the art, 72-bed mental hospital was scheduled to be opening late this fall in the city of Gilbert, Arizona. This would have been Gilbert’s only mental and behavioral health facility. Instead, the plans for the behavioral health institute have been canceled for the second time..
Before I started working at The Kim Foundation, I understood very little about the relationship between drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness. Of course not all drug users are mentally ill, as not all individuals with a mental illness abuse drugs and alcohol. However, it’s estimated that nearly 50% of people with an addictive disorder will have a psychiatric disorder, and roughly 20% of those with a psychiatric disorder will develop an addiction problem
Thank you for supporting the work of The Kim Foundation. You are a vital part of helping us further our mission and promote our belief that with help comes hope and healing.
