A new alert from the Joint Commission warns that hospital emergency departments should be mindful of suicide attempts in patients with no history of psychiatric problems.

“A patient who attempts suicide in the emergency room or a hospital’s medical or surgical unit often has a different set of presenting complaints or a different diagnosis than a patient hospitalized in a psychiatric unit,” said Dr. Robert Wise, a psychiatrist and a Joint Commissioner medical adviser.

Of the 827 suicides reported to the Joint Commission since 1995, about a quarter of them occurred in non-psychiatric settings, like emergency departments. The methods were usually hanging, suffocation, intentional drug overdose and strangulation. … Read more →

In 1927, the Illinois General Assembly appropriated $1 million to build a new facility in Manteno, Illinois, that would care for the mentally ill.  Manteno State Hospital, spread across 1,220 acres of land, opened in 1930, welcoming 100 male patients from Kankakee State Hospital.

Over the next few years, the hospital expanded in size, including extensive work in the electrical system, a comprehensive tunnel thoroughfare, and a sanitary and sewer system, all run by a central power station.  By 1932, Manteno had 886 patients, and by 1934, 1,193 patients. … Read more →

Sleep experts at the Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Professor Franco Cappuccio and Dr. Michelle Miller offer some insight into the effects of sleep deprivation. Drawing from their recently published book Sleep, Health and Society, Cappuccio (Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-956649-4), the authors use the case study of “S. Clause” and his colleagues (elves and reindeer).

The authors identify the health risks of staying up for several days and nights, a supposed necessity so Mr. Clause can “deliver presents to children all over the world for Christmas.” … Read more →

University of Alabama at Birmingham genetic experts say the holidays present an opportunity to learn more about your family’s genetic makeup.

“The holidays are a great time to collect your family history,” says Lynn Holt, M.S., director of the School of Health Professions Genetic Counseling program. “Most people don’t know much about the family history beyond their first-degree relatives, their own parents and siblings.”

Use family gatherings as an opportunity to speak with great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, siblings, and children about life, death, and any health concerns, including relatives who may have died at a  young age. … Read more →

A recent publication in the journal Social Psychology Quarterly explores how prayer manages emotional pain.  According to Shane Sharp, a University of Wisconsin-Madison sociologist/graduate student, individuals who choose to pray find personalized comfort during difficult times.

Through a series of in-depth interviews with victims of violent and abusive relationships with intimate partners, Sharp tried to ascertain the ways in which prayer helped.

According to Sharp, those who were boiling with anger claimed to find “a readily available listening ear. If they vented their anger to that abusive partner, the result was likely to be more violence. But they could be angry at God while praying without fear of reprisal.” … Read more →

A new report from The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity (a non-profit research and public policy organization devoted to improving the world’s diet, preventing obesity, and reducing weight stigma) recently published in Pediatrics lands a blow to proponents of sugary cereals.

In response to parent fear that their child will only consume breakfast if it consists of sugary cereal, the Rudd Center provides some comfort. … Read more →

In 1943, Holy Infant Hospital opened in Hoven, South Dakota.  With a population of 511 according to the 2000 census, Hoven was incorporated in 1883, in the heart of South Dakota’s Blue Blanket Valley.

A town dominated by agricultural interests and an abundance of wildlife, Hoven cherished its local hospital for over 60 years.

Holy Infant Hospital closed in October 2010. A volunteer EMT stated: “It’s a big slam to the city.  As far as the ambulance, we have to go to the surrounding towns.” … Read more →

In 1858, plans to build the Trans-Allegheny Asylum for the Insane started in Weston, Virginia (and later to become West Virginia). With a claim to be the largest hand-cut stone building in North America, the hospital was designed consistent with that of Dr. Thomas Kirkbride’s architectural model.

When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, construction stopped.  It resumed in July 1863, now in the new state of West Virginia. West Virginia quickly renamed the facility the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, and a year later the hospital’s patient wing opened. … Read more →

Video games can be bad. At least that is the opinion of Marina Krcmar, associate professor at Wake Forest University.  According to Krcmar, the more realistic the games, the more dangerous. “Greater realism leads to greater immersion; greater immersion leads to greater effects. One of those effects can be increased aggression.”

Krcmar encourages parents to be mindful of the game, notwithstanding their actual ratings. “The T-rating and M-rating for video games are not very consistent and not very informative for parents, so parents need more information. It’s getting closer and closer to virtual reality.” … Read more →

Lawrence County General Hospital was constructed in 1937. Located on South Ninth Street in Ironton, Ohio, the three story facility later changed its name to River Valley Hospital.

The hospital’s opening in 1937 was honored by the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps, the local high school choir, and prayer. Ohio’s governor at the time, Martin Davie, laid the building’s cornerstone.

Built to house 65 patient beds originally, in 1948 River Valley Hospital was expanded to include a four-story addition. Over the years, the hospital expanded its services and size to meet the needs of the community. … Read more →