On mental pain and suicide risk in modern psychiatry

Facing suicide risk is probably the most difficult task for clinicians when dealing with patients in crisis. It requires professional, intellectual, and emotional efforts. Suicide risk assessment can sometimes be distressing for clinicians, and such a state may favour the avoidance of an in-depth exploration of suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Patients often feel subjected to […]

Our empathic brain and suicidal individuals

What are the needs of suicidology today? We should not be surprised by the simplistic and obvious statement that we do not fully understand what is going on inside the minds of suicidal individuals. No doubt, we still partially manage the unmet needs (e.g., feelings of entrapment, defeat, helplessness) of those who are suicidal. In […]

Effect of layperson-delivered, empathy-focused program of telephone calls on loneliness, depression, and anxiety among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized clinical trial

Importance  Loneliness is a risk factor for many clinical conditions, but there are few effective interventions deployable at scale. Objective  To determine whether a layperson-delivered, empathy-focused program of telephone calls could rapidly improve loneliness, depression, and anxiety in at-risk adults. Design, Setting, and Participants  From July 6 to September 24, 2020, we recruited and followed up 240 adults […]