Unpacking Schizophrenia: Preventing Suicides

In the final installment of this podcast series, Robert S. Laitman, MD, from Bronx Westchester Medical Group and SARDAA, discusses suicidality in patients with schizophrenia compared with the general population. He also outlines steps clinicians can take to help prevent suicides in their patients.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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Robert S. Laitman, MD, is an internal medicine physician at Bronx Westchester Medical Group in New York. He is on the Board of Directors for the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America, and is also a board member of the National Alliance of Mental Illness - New York. Over the last 10 years, he has developed a practice taking care of people with psychotic disorders after his son, Daniel, received a diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2006.

Dr Laitman and his wife, Dr Ann Mandel Laitman, founded the charity, Team Daniel: Running for Recovery from Mental Illness. Dr Laitman, his family, and his colleague also authored the book, "Clozapine: Meaningful Recovery from Schizophrenia.”

References:

1. Meltzer HY, Alphs L, Green AI, et al. Clozapine treatment for suicidality in schizophrenia: International Suicide Prevention Trial (InterSePT). Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003;60(1):82-91. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.60.1.82.
2. Mervosh S. Nearly 40,000 people died from guns in U.S. last year, highest in 50 years. New York Times. December 18, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/us/gun-deaths.html. Accessed on January 3, 2019.