Job Loss, Depression, and Suicide

During the first quarter of the year in 2009,  WakeMed in Raleigh reported that suicides were up 64% with 41 successful suicides and with attempts and complaints of suicidal thoughts up 31% over 2008. This coincided with the aftermath of the mortgage crisis and increasing unemployment. These disturbing numbers bring the results of a recent analysis of suicide and the economy home.

In a study by the Center for Disease Control released last week, the rise in the number of suicides has been correlated to historic economic declines.  While this trend might seem obvious, the study published in the American Journal of Public Health is the first research to actually link financial trends with  self-annihilation. The study found that suicides not only rose during high impact financial disasters such as the Great Depression but also during less dramatic downturns such as the 70s oil crisis or the double-dip recession of the 80s.  On the other hand, suicides decreased during boom-times like the unprecedented economic growth of the 90s.

In a related study in the United Kingdom,  people who weathered layoffs and job-losses best were those who approached their loss with a good attitude. Again, there is little surprise here. These individuals were able to disconnect from the lost job quickly and overcome the pain and shock of their dismissals.  They took a "new day" approach and accepted that the old job was gone but believed a satisfying new life was waiting.  Those who handled unemployment best often found solace in volunteerism, self-employment, study, and part-time work. Through this kind of activity, the jobless individual did not allow unemployment to become the central part of his identity.  This in turn helped him cope with his situation in a healthier manner and help him avoid paralyzing depression.

These two studies put a human face on bad economic times. One is a sad statistic about despair and the other a hopeful message about coping.  The CDC study clearly indicates that support for an unemployed person should include watching for signs of suicidal thoughts or behaviors and other mental health problems that may lead to suicide. The U.K. study suggests that productive activity should be encouraged for its therapeutic value and that a realistic but positive outlook should be promoted.

If suicide is a concern, please call the Hopeline at (919) 231-4525.

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Do2Learn

The Raleigh-based Do2learn.com announced the release of a free online resource named JobTIPS. The site is designed to provide tools for job-seekers with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). In a press release, Dorothy Strickland, who is the president of Do2learn.com and the creator of JobTIPS, says the site “aims to equip these young adults with the right resources to help them optimize their potential and at a level where employers see and appreciate the unique skills and talents they have to offer.”

According to a study published in the Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in 2007, the cost of caring for an individual diagnosed with ASD is estimated to be  $3.2 million over a lifetime. This figure not only includes direct care for the diagnosed individual but also lost productivity at the workplace for both those with autism and family members who serve as caretakers. According to the CDC, North Carolina is consistent with the statistic that 1 in 110 Americans is diagnosed with autism. Of this number, over 70% are unemployed.

However, many ASD advocate groups feel that employment for these individuals goes beyond simple economics. Lettuce Work, a champion for more employment those with ASD, describes their mission as fostering independence and self-worth through employment. While not all with ASD are equally functional, the trend among advocate sites and blogs is to point out that far more of these individuals would be employable if provided with the right training and with on-the-job accommodations.

JobTIPS consists of a lot of “how-to” advice. Video and audio components are peppered throughout the texts to demonstrate various points. One video shows a young man who is making eye-contact, smiling, and nodding to an off-screen interviewer. At the end of the video, a large green check mark appears indicating correctness. A second video, on the same page, shows the “how-not-to” model with an interviewee staring off to the side of the room and by all indications appears to be ignoring the interviewer. It is evaluated with a big red “X” at the end.

Someone from outside this community may find these scenarios to be obvious. But because serious difficulty managing appropriate social interaction and communication is the hallmark of ASD, learning these basic skills are essential to these job-seekers. The common repetitive and stereotypical behaviors that often accompany this developmental disorder can be a major obstacle to getting and keeping a job.

There are four categories of employment issues addressed on JobTIPS: Determining Interests, Finding a Job, Getting a Job, and Keeping a Job. On a separate tab, there is the promise of more tips to come. Do2learn.com also offers many tools for those with special needs that are not directly related to employment.

Depression and the Chromosomes

Having the occasional blues is a natural part of life. Depressive disorders impair the quality of an entire life. Now a recent study suggests chronic depression can be even more damaging than previously thought. Depression may actually damage the immune system.

A very recent study out of the University of California in San Francisco has discovered that those who suffer from long-term untreated, depressive disorder have shorter telomeres when compared to others. Telomeres are caps that protect the ends of chromosomes and are thought to have a lot to do with aging and immunity. The stronger and longer the telomeres, the more protected the chromosome which in turn translates to cellular health and replication.

Telomeres were in the news last November when scientists in Boston turned the telomerase off and then on again restoring youth to a group of lab rats. Telomerase is the enzyme that rebuilds these the chromosomal caps.   The end results demonstrated that turning the telomerase on returned the rats to a youthful vigor and appearance. The evidence was available for all to see on the evening news.

The latest study reveals shorter telomeres in chronically depressed humans and suggests that long-term depression is physically damaging.  This might account for other studies that have found that chronically depressed people a have a higher statistical rate of developing diabetes, heart disease, and dementia along with other illnesses associated with aging. Shorter telomeres are uniquely found in those who have dealt with long-term depression.  Those with short-term episodes appear to be exempt.

It's estimated that 15% of Americans will have a diagnosable depressive disorder sometime in their lifetimes. A major depressive disorder covers a wide-range of life disrupting symptoms, including but not limited to sad feelings, sleep difficulties, lack of interest, concentration and memory problems, a change in eating patterns, suicidal thoughts, a sense of worthlessness, and body aches.  

Borrowing from the national statistics, more than one in ten people in Raleigh has or will suffer from a depressive disorder.  On a positive note, other statistics indicate that an estimated 80 to 90 percent of those who seek and accept treatment for depression are successful in recovery. The most prominent forms of treatment include antidepressant medication and a form of talk therapy that explores and challenges automatic thinking in the client known as cognitive behavioral therapy.  Last year, the American Psychiatric Association also recommended aerobic or resistance exercise as a beneficial tool in treatment.

Due to the many local universities, hospitals, and research facilities in the area, Raleigh has an abundance of mental health professionals who can treat depression.  There are many online tools for finding local clinicians.  Many people who are considering treatment for a mental disorder feel more comfortable talking first to their general practitioners with whom they already have a on-going relationship. The family doctor also offers the advantage of being able to rule out physical problems and medication side effects as a cause of the depressive symptoms before recommending a mental health professional.

With the statistical success of treatment and the resources available in the Raleigh area, most people who suffer from depression don't need to tolerate this life-sapping condition.

Volunteer Therapy

The mental health benefits of volunteerism is thoroughly documented in research. The paradox is real. The more one gives of himself, his time, and his talents doing good things for others, the more he gets back in the form of happiness and a sense of well-being. Volunteering may be the ultimate self-help therapy.

The gifts one receives from volunteering include:

• Emotional. One of the most obvious aspects that is confirmed in study after study is that volunteers are happy people.  One study from Duke University discovered that patients who got back on their feet again after a heart attack and then volunteered felt less despair and depression. Pervasiveness of feelings are linked to the mortality of recovered heart patients.

Many volunteers report an improved sense of happiness no matter what the level of contentment they had when they started.  A sense of purpose and accomplishment clearly is a boost to the self-esteem. Volunteering strengthens an individual’s self-concept.  Such activities make it easier for someone to appreciate that he is a good person. A strong positive sense of self can counter-balance many negatives.

• Belonging. Feelings of sadness and anxiety virtually define loneliness. Volunteers feel that they are taking care of their neighbors, either locally or globally, and improving society. They are shown to be more likely to be involved  in other community activities. They sense themselves as not only a part of their neighborhoods but of mankind in a more tangible way.

The power of a sense of belonging can be  profound.  There have been some notable results from schools which have introduced service learning, volunteer-type activities as a school course. One of the purposes of these courses is to combat rising drop-out rates. It is reported that through these programs, many students felt a richer connection to their community and described developing a desire to be a more productive part of it. Consequently, larger numbers of students remained in school.

• Empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand what another person is going through. Empathy is critical for successful relationships. Successful relationships bring happiness. Volunteers often find that stepping into another's world through volunteer work opens them to a greater understanding of people.

As Raleigh grows, so does the need for volunteers. There are many organizations throughout the city that regularly recruit volunteers.  The Raleigh Rescue Mission, SAFEchild, and the Literacy Council of Wake County are just a few of the many groups who need volunteer time and talent.  There are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of and participate in this generous form of self-help therapy in Wake County.

How to Freshen Your Personal Budget with Mint

Some rare people seem to be able to keep a mental snapshot of their finances. However, most of us aren’t so blessed. It used to be as easy as keeping a checkbook register, but now with debit cards and credit cards and cash, it becomes much easier to lose track of where the money goes. How many of us have come to the sudden realization that we didn’t have quite what we thought we had in the bank? Who among us hasn’t been perplexed by the realization that there was more month left than there was cash?

The key to keeping track is awareness. And the perfect tool for acquiring awareness is Mint.com put offered by Intuit, the same folks who brought us Quicken and Turbotax. But unlike Quicken and Turbotax, Mint is available for free and completely online. It’s available for your desktop, your phone, and your tablet so you can take your information anyplace that you might need it.

Mint tracks transactions through the bank and other financial institutions. As a user, you can enter information that will link your Mint account with your bank or investment accounts and maintain a real-time activity log from your accounts.  Although it takes more effort, you can also track your cash transactions. However, with Mint it may be more efficient simply to use your debit card whenever possible to maintain a clean, effortless record of your spending.

Not only does Mint help you track where you’ve been and where you are financially, but it also helps you plan your future. The first tool that helps with planning is most obviously the Budget tool. Software budgets can sometimes cause all but the professional accountant to scratch his head in dismay. Mint offers an easy budgeting system that can initiate the financial novice as well as serve the needs of the veteran budgeter. With just a little time, anyone can set up a sensible budget. With minimal maintenance, Mint tells you how much you spend on average in a month for each category so in a year you have a sense of the amount you spend within that category. Once you have that information, you can intelligently decide whether to increase or decrease your budget for the year to come.

Coordinating the money you spend with your budget is pain-free. Typically, it takes 5 minutes a day to make sure that all new transactions pulled in from your accounts are categorized correctly so that spending categories are accurately reflected. Then simple bar graphs demonstrate whether you are on budget or not.

The second planning tool is the Goals tool. This tool considers vacations, cars, home improvement, retirement and others or you can add any financial goal that you can customize.  It assists you in establishing a realistic goal over a realistic time period and then allows you to link it to an account. It will tell you at anytime if you are ahead, behind, or hopefully on target in meeting your goal. This is a rational alternative to putting things on high interest credit cards before you have the cash and then playing catch up later.

If you don’t budget, Mint is an incredibly user friendly method of starting. If you do budget, Mint is a great way to freshen up your finances.