Lauren Eschwie

Around the winter holidays—for reasons as varied as weather, grieving, holiday stress, or just plain Scrooge-liness—people are more susceptible to the "holiday blues." But Timothy Lineberry, MD, psychiatric hospitalist and medical director of Mayo Psychiatric Hospital and board chair of the American Association of Suicidology, points out that depression and associated suicide risk are year-round issues.

"The holidays aren't necessarily the worst. Depression and suicide are important all year long," Dr. Lineberry says.

In fact, a 2010 Annenberg Public Policy Center study (PDF) found that the rate of suicide in the U.S. is lowest in December. Suicide actually peaks in the spring and fall, a pattern that has not changed in recent years according to the same study.

Physicians write 60% of prescriptions for anti-depressants. And because depression and other mental health issues remain a taboo topic to many Americans, many patients visit their physician instead of a mental health clinician. As such, hospitalists need to be able to accurately assess depression and suicide risk.

Dr. Lineberry suggests the following steps for hospitalists who diagnose patients with depression:

• Consider using the holidays to renew or update systems of practice to better identify depression;
• Use the PHQ-9 questionnaire with patients who display symptoms of depression; and
• Ask direct and clear questions about suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Keep substance abuse as a risk factor in mind.

 

 

Around the winter holidays—for reasons as varied as weather, grieving, holiday stress, or just plain Scrooge-liness—people are more susceptible to the "holiday blues." But Timothy Lineberry, MD, psychiatric hospitalist and medical director of Mayo Psychiatric Hospital and board chair of the American Association of Suicidology, points out that depression and associated suicide risk are year-round issues.

"The holidays aren't necessarily the worst. Depression and suicide are important all year long," Dr. Lineberry says.

In fact, a 2010 Annenberg Public Policy Center study (PDF) found that the rate of suicide in the U.S. is lowest in December. Suicide actually peaks in the spring and fall, a pattern that has not changed in recent years according to the same study.

Physicians write 60% of prescriptions for anti-depressants. And because depression and other mental health issues remain a taboo topic to many Americans, many patients visit their physician instead of a mental health clinician. As such, hospitalists need to be able to accurately assess depression and suicide risk.

Dr. Lineberry suggests the following steps for hospitalists who diagnose patients with depression:

• Consider using the holidays to renew or update systems of practice to better identify depression;
• Use the PHQ-9 questionnaire with patients who display symptoms of depression; and
• Ask direct and clear questions about suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Keep substance abuse as a risk factor in mind.

 

 

Around the winter holidays—for reasons as varied as weather, grieving, holiday stress, or just plain Scrooge-liness—people are more susceptible to the "holiday blues." But Timothy Lineberry, MD, psychiatric hospitalist and medical director of Mayo Psychiatric Hospital and board chair of the American Association of Suicidology, points out that depression and associated suicide risk are year-round issues.

"The holidays aren't necessarily the worst. Depression and suicide are important all year long," Dr. Lineberry says.

In fact, a 2010 Annenberg Public Policy Center study (PDF) found that the rate of suicide in the U.S. is lowest in December. Suicide actually peaks in the spring and fall, a pattern that has not changed in recent years according to the same study.

Physicians write 60% of prescriptions for anti-depressants. And because depression and other mental health issues remain a taboo topic to many Americans, many patients visit their physician instead of a mental health clinician. As such, hospitalists need to be able to accurately assess depression and suicide risk.

Dr. Lineberry suggests the following steps for hospitalists who diagnose patients with depression:

• Consider using the holidays to renew or update systems of practice to better identify depression;
• Use the PHQ-9 questionnaire with patients who display symptoms of depression; and
• Ask direct and clear questions about suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Keep substance abuse as a risk factor in mind.

 

 

Medical professionals from across the country will attend the first national meeting on the topic of specialty hospitalists Nov. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Sponsored by SHM, the American Hospital Association, the Neurohospitalist Society, and OBGynHospitalist.com, the gathering is for anyone interested in adopting a hospital-focused model of practice, including physician and nonphysician clinicians, as well as those in medical support industries, such as insurance carriers, policymakers, and healthcare media.

According to organizers, the one-day meeting will be structured to encourage networking and exchange of ideas among attendees, and will include presentations, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions.

"This is less 'Come hear from people who have this all figured out' … it's 'Come hear from people who are thinking about this a lot.' But the attendees are a big part of the knowledge base," says John Nelson, MD, MHM, hospitalist medical director at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash.

Dr. Nelson, cofounder and past president of SHM as well as the Nov. 4 meeting director, says he hopes to bring together healthcare leaders from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and insights. Since this movement is growing organically rather than descending from a central agency, organizers expect to centralize the sharing of ideas and best practices.

Nearly 60 interested parties have pre-registered for the meeting, according to SHM. Attendees will take what they have learned back to their own hospitals or businesses, Dr. Nelson says, and continue the conversation with their colleagues.

The cost to attend the meeting is $350 and seats remain available; register by phone, 800-843-3360, or via the SHM website.

Medical professionals from across the country will attend the first national meeting on the topic of specialty hospitalists Nov. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Sponsored by SHM, the American Hospital Association, the Neurohospitalist Society, and OBGynHospitalist.com, the gathering is for anyone interested in adopting a hospital-focused model of practice, including physician and nonphysician clinicians, as well as those in medical support industries, such as insurance carriers, policymakers, and healthcare media.

According to organizers, the one-day meeting will be structured to encourage networking and exchange of ideas among attendees, and will include presentations, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions.

"This is less 'Come hear from people who have this all figured out' … it's 'Come hear from people who are thinking about this a lot.' But the attendees are a big part of the knowledge base," says John Nelson, MD, MHM, hospitalist medical director at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash.

Dr. Nelson, cofounder and past president of SHM as well as the Nov. 4 meeting director, says he hopes to bring together healthcare leaders from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and insights. Since this movement is growing organically rather than descending from a central agency, organizers expect to centralize the sharing of ideas and best practices.

Nearly 60 interested parties have pre-registered for the meeting, according to SHM. Attendees will take what they have learned back to their own hospitals or businesses, Dr. Nelson says, and continue the conversation with their colleagues.

The cost to attend the meeting is $350 and seats remain available; register by phone, 800-843-3360, or via the SHM website.

Medical professionals from across the country will attend the first national meeting on the topic of specialty hospitalists Nov. 4 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Sponsored by SHM, the American Hospital Association, the Neurohospitalist Society, and OBGynHospitalist.com, the gathering is for anyone interested in adopting a hospital-focused model of practice, including physician and nonphysician clinicians, as well as those in medical support industries, such as insurance carriers, policymakers, and healthcare media.

According to organizers, the one-day meeting will be structured to encourage networking and exchange of ideas among attendees, and will include presentations, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions.

"This is less 'Come hear from people who have this all figured out' … it's 'Come hear from people who are thinking about this a lot.' But the attendees are a big part of the knowledge base," says John Nelson, MD, MHM, hospitalist medical director at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash.

Dr. Nelson, cofounder and past president of SHM as well as the Nov. 4 meeting director, says he hopes to bring together healthcare leaders from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences and insights. Since this movement is growing organically rather than descending from a central agency, organizers expect to centralize the sharing of ideas and best practices.

Nearly 60 interested parties have pre-registered for the meeting, according to SHM. Attendees will take what they have learned back to their own hospitals or businesses, Dr. Nelson says, and continue the conversation with their colleagues.

The cost to attend the meeting is $350 and seats remain available; register by phone, 800-843-3360, or via the SHM website.