Suicide Attorney Skip Simpson Discusses Recent Increase in Suicide Rate Nationwide
Frisco, TX (PRWEB) July 29, 2013 -- Experienced suicide lawyer Skip Simpson said today he has been closely monitoring an alarming upward trend in the nation’s suicide rate. The number of suicides in the United States has increased dramatically in the past decade, according to The New York Times, “Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.” (May 2, 2013).
Simpson, who works with families who have lost loved ones to suicide, said more work needs to be done to ensure that mental health providers are fully trained to detect, assess and protect a patient who is at risk of suicide. A group of leading suicidologists in the U.S., along with Simpson, was asked to address the issue of competency of the mental health field in the U.S. as it relates to suicide. The answer was published in a leading peer-reviewed journal, Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, entitled “Preventing Suicide Through Improved Training in Suicide Risk Assessment and Care: An American Association of Suicidology Task Force Report Addressing Serious Gaps in U.S. Mental Health Training.” The well-researched article found generally the U.S. mental health community lacked the competence to protect patients at risk for suicide. Washington state and Kentucky responded to the article and patient advocate groups by mandating suicide training for many mental health clinicians.
“Serious questions need to be asked around the country by medical and mental health professionals,” Simpson said. “People die by suicide for a wide range of reasons. Unfortunately, many times, people do so because they did not receive adequate protection, treatment or therapy in a hospital or other medical facility. Often the lack of training and protection in hospitals is due to putting profits over safety. Families and communities believe their suicidal loved ones are safe once they are seen by a professional, but sadly the public is misinformed. Hospitals have to be lifeguards protecting patients and not sharks cutting costs.”
The suicide rate in the United States increased dramatically between 1999 and 2010, especially among middle-aged adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as reported by The New York Times. During that time period, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent, to 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 13.7, according to The New York Times.
The increase means that more people now die by suicide than in car accidents, The New York Times reported. In 2010 there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes. That same year, there were 38,364 suicides, The New York Times reported.
Health officials are struggling to figure out why more people are dying by suicide now than in the past, according to The Washington Post, “Baby boomers are killing themselves at an alarming rate, raising question: Why?” (June 3, 2013). Some officials have cited the recent economic downturn, The Washington Post reported. Others questioned whether the “Baby Boomers” are “reluctant to accept the realities of aging,” The Washington Post reported.
But causes of suicide are often far more complex than a sound bite on the evening news, said Simpson, who has been practicing law for more than 30 years.
“The rise in the national suicide rate is without question alarming,” Simpson said. “With competent care, protection and proper treatment, many of these folks could be alive today. We hope to put pressure on mental health professionals to simply abide by the patient safety rules which have long been in existence but not faithfully followed. Suicide prevention is attainable and is our Number One goal.”
Family members whose loved one died by suicide in a hospital or a psychiatric facility should seek the help of an experienced suicide attorney by calling (214) 618-8222 or visiting http://www.skipsimpson.com/contact
About The Law Offices of Skip Simpson
For over thirty years, Skip Simpson has been practicing law, focusing on psychiatric and psychological malpractice, suicide lawsuits, as well as personal injury civil, commercial and criminal litigation. Nationally recognized for his expertise in suicide law, he is considered a pioneer in the field of suicide litigation and has represented families who have lost loved ones to suicide around the country.
The Law Offices of Skip Simpson
2591 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300
Frisco, Texas 75034
http://www.skipsimpson.com
Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, 888.566.5466, [email protected]
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