6
students in 2019. So, mental health,
personally and professionally, hits home.
Accessing care is a challenge in a state
with great distances and a provider
shortage. And there's the continuing
stigma, too, about mental health
treatment and that extends to doctors.
"We sometimes associate seeking help
or talking to an expert like
psychologist Nicole Klaus, Ph.D., ABPP,
associate professor at KUSM-Wichita.
People take their lives for many — often
multiple — reasons, but a common factor
is depression and other issues going
unaddressed. Nationally, an estimated
300 doctors kill themselves annually.
Burnout — indicating depression, loss of
control and other stresses — aected
nearly half of all KU School of Medicine
The tragedy and challenges run deep with
suicide and trying to prevent it in
Kansas:
The overall suicide rate is 17th in the
nation, 10th highest for 15- to 24-year-olds,
11th for 10- to 14-year-olds.
"We've been seeing increasing suicide
rates across the country for at least
20 years, and the rates are rising faster
in Kansas, especially in rural and frontier
communities," said child and adolescent
Faculty and sta work on multiple fronts
to prevent suicide, improve mental health
the saddest conclusion
Preventing
