Bright Nights™ Community Forum – Suicide Prevention
Suicide is a tragedy that impacts the lives of many people in our community. A better understanding of mental illness and suicide risk, and of other factors that can exacerbate risk of suicide, may enable us to intervene and help to prevent such tragedies. In the United States alone, a suicide attempt is made every minute, and over 30,000 people take their lives every year (or one person every eighteen minutes). Research has shown that more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder. These disorders are largely treatable, and a more informed community can help with the recognition of risk factors.
To provide greater understanding of suicide risk and suicide prevention strategies, the University of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor Public Library will present the third Bright Nights community forum, “Suicide Prevention,” to be held Wednesday, May 24th, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch (corner of S. Fifth Ave. and William).
Dr. Cheryl King, an expert in suicide prevention and youth suicide from the U-M Depression Center, will present a brief overview of suicide prevention from a clinical and community perspective. This will be followed by a specialist panel discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Young, Dr. Melvin McInnis, John Kettley, ACSW, and Eric Hipple, Outreach Coordinator, also from the Depression Center. Dr. Charles Krasnow, a practicing psychiatrist in the Ann Arbor community, will also join the panel.
Cheryl King, Ph.D.: Click
here to download Powerpoint presentation
Some of the slides in
this presentation were prepared by either Dr. John McIntosh
in collaboration with the American Association of Suicidology
(www.suicidology.org)
or Dr. David Litts of the Suicide Prevention Resource
Center (www.sprc.org).
Dr. King would like to acknowledge and thank them for
their permission to use these slides.
Bright Nights is open to the public and there is no charge for attendance. For more information, please visit the Depression Center website at www.depressioncenter.org, or contact Trish Meyer, 763-7495, or meyerpa@umich.edu.
