Hello and welcome to another edition of Best 5 Reads. Lets begin!
1) Suicide is Declining Almost Everywhere
Globally, the rate has fallen by 38% from its peak in 1994. As a result, over 4m lives have been saved—more than four times as many people as were killed in combat over the period. The decline has happened at different rates and different times in different parts of the world. In the West, it started long ago: in Britain, for instance, the male rate peaked at around 30 per 100,000 a year in 1905, and again at the same level in 1934, during the Great Depression; among women it peaked at 12 in 1964. In most of the West, it has been flat or falling for the past two decades.
In other parts of the world, rates have dropped more recently. China’s started to come down in the 1990s and declined steadily, flattening out in recent years. Russia’s, Japan’s, South Korea’s and India’s rates, still high, have all fallen.
America is the big exception. Until the turn of the century the rate there dropped along with those in other rich countries. But since then, it has risen by 18% to 12.8—well above China’s current rate of seven. The declines in those other big countries, however, far outweigh the rise in America.
An exploration of postpartum psychosis through the stories of three women whose lives were profoundly impacted following childbirth.
3) Staying Safe from Suicidal Thoughts
If you’re struggling and you’re not sure if you want to live or die, can you, just for now hold off making this decision and keep reading and watching the videos for some ideas about how to get through. There may be things that you – and other people – can do to make things better.
4) Psychiatry’s Ancient Origins
As it turns out, modern psychiatry reflects some of the values and concepts held by early civilizations.
For some people, perhaps even many people, disordered thinking shows up primarily in physical symptoms. At one extreme, such symptoms constitute conversion disorder. What do such symptoms means, and how are they best approached?
What does the title mean and what conditions fall in its domain?
Thank you and see you tomorrow for more articles!
Best Regards,
Vikram
