Psych Matters Blog
Mental Illness Awareness Week & World Mental Health Day
In recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 4 -10, and World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, we spoke with Jordan Karp, MD, the University of Arizona’s new Department Chair of Psychiatry, to discuss the importance of mental health awareness, especially during the time of COVID-19 and the pandemic’s impacts on mental health.
National Diversity Week
October 4 through October 10, 2020 is National Diversity Week, established in 1998 to raise awareness about the diversity that shapes the United States. We interviewed Victoria E. Murrain, DO, Vice Dean, and Michelle Ortiz, PhD, Assistant Director, of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to learn more about the work being done to increase the diversity of health care professionals.
Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month
Suicide is an extremely important topic to shine the light on as it is, according to the CDC, the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. We spoke with Mary Ojeda, LCSW, clinical services manager at Banner - University Medicine Whole Health Clinic to learn more about suicide risk factors, warning signs, stigma in seeking help, and ways to supportively intervene.
National Physician Suicide Awareness Day
"September is suicide prevention month, and this September 17, 2020, is the third annual National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. The primary purpose is to create a day to commemorate colleagues lost to suicide and to raise awareness about the issue internally and externally by shedding a light on it." – Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine. We spoke with Jason Curry, DO, Program Director of the University of Arizona’s Psychiatry Residency Program, about specific challenges physicians face when it comes to seeking help for mental health struggles, coping with burnout, and mitigating suicide.
International Overdose Awareness Day
International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held annually on August 31 and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. Elisa Gumm, MD, the Director of the University of Arizona Psychiatry Department’s Addiction Fellowship Program, covers the importance of awareness and advocacy in treating addiction, and also discusses the Addiction Fellowship program and the need for providers in the field of addiction.