Leaving You: A Cultural History of Suicide
From ABC Radio National's All in the Mind program:

In 1938 historian Lisa Lieberman's grandfather, the son of an Austrian Rabbi, killed himself. It's a mystery that's long haunted her and one which sent her rummaging into the historical archives of self destruction. From Socrates to Sylvia Plath, post-revolutionary France to Auschwitz - suicide has been seen as both a personal and a political act. But Lieberman provocatively argues that modern medicine has stripped it bare of meaning and reason, and diminished individual responsibility for the decision to die. She joins Natasha Mitchell to share her unease...and historical insights.

Bipolar Disorder – Treating the Rollercoaster
This recent story from All in the Mind on ABC radio looks at treatment for bipolar disorder.

Manic depression or bipolar disorder is most famous for its extreme highs. In the throws of mania many people don’t sleep, spend huge sums, and live life larger and faster than ever. The condition has traditionally been thought to be unresponsive to psychotherapy and Lithium, discovered by an Australian and toxic in overdose, has long been the mainstay of treatment. But the picture is changing - and psychotherapy is making a revival. Neil Cole, ex Victorian MP joins Natasha Mitchell along with leading researchers at the recent International Bipolar conference.

The upcoming edition of All in the Mind on Saturday 21 February loks at the cultural history of suicide. It can be heard at 1.30pm on Radio National. The transcript will be available by the following Thursday when it will be added to the Blog.

Link between Depression and Heart Disease in Post-menopausal Women.
This article discusses a new study published in the latest edition of Archives of Internal Medicine. The study involved over 90 000 women in the United States, over a 4 year period. The abstract can be accessed via the link above. MCSP staff will be able to access the fulltext, but other readers should contact their library for access.

A media statement from the authors can be accessed here.

Full citation:
Wassertheil-Smoller S, Shumaker S, Ockene J, Talavera GA, Greenland P, Cochrane B, Robbins J, Aragaki A, Dunbar-Jacob J.
Depression and cardiovascular sequelae in postmenopausal women: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004 Feb 9;164(3):289-98

If suicide is a public health problem, what are we doing to prevent it?
This article appears in the January 2004 edition of the American Journal of Public Health. The link gives access to the abstract. MCSP staff can contact Tracy to access the fulltext. Other readers should contact their local library.

Full citation:
Knox, KL, Conwell, Y & Caine, ED 2004, 'If Suicide Is a Public Health Problem, What Are We Doing to Prevent It?' American Journal of Public Health, vol. 94, no. 1, pp. 37-45.