KU School of Medicine-Wichita

9 Medical students enjoyed horseback riding with C-Arrow Stables. The activity was part of the wellness program coordinated by Academic & Student Aairs to promote cultural, intellectual, spiritual, social, physical and emotional well-being among students. Suicide: A growing problem • 75% increase in Kansas' suicide rate between 2001 and 2018. • 63.8% increase in Kansas youth suicide rate from 2001 to 2020. • Suicide was the second leading cause of death among Kansans 10 to 44 years old between 2015 and 2019. Sources: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Health Institute "I found I had a love of treating children and adolescents with mood disorders. And one of the things I especially appreciated was the room to make an impact on these kids and teenagers who were quite sick. I saw the potential to save lives. I found that it was really rewarding." — Nicole Klaus, Ph.D., ABPP, associate professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences "It was really communities coming together to learn what others in Kansas were doing and to consider the best model for their community," she said. Since her training, Klaus has worked in prevention and the disorders driving suicide. She's a voice media seek out, takes part in prevention events and works to support the infrastructure confronting the problem, all while maintaining her practice. Hard, challenging, essential — all describe the work. Sharing resources and expertise Klaus is active with the Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Coalition. Its eorts include monitoring local trends, training professionals and lay community members in evidence-based prevention approaches, and supporting survivors of suicide loss. Last year, Klaus moderated a six-part webinar on youth suicide, sponsored by the KU Medical Center Area Health Education Center. The goals were continuing education and sharing best practices. During regular virtual sessions, time is set aside for doctors to discuss how they're doing and rate themselves on stress factors. The program provides resources on stress, compassion fatigue, substance abuse and more, and has done virtual coaching sessions with a physician and wellness coach. The intent is to remind doctors they're not in this alone, that there's help if they need it. "It's acknowledging that it's OK for these cases to hit you, for clinicians to have intense feelings or reactions to treating these kinds of patients," Klaus said. Nicole Klaus, Ph.D., ABPP, associate parofessor Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Elizabeth Ablah, Ph.D., MPH, professor Population Health

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