The September Triangle of Mental Health Dangers

Psychiatry & Society

H. Steven Moffic, MD, discusses a Bermuda Triangle-like joining of issues in September: suicide, burnout, and the anniversary of 9/11. September is is Suicide Prevention Month. Additionally, September holds Labor Day, and we are still clearly experiencing a burnout epidemic. Lastly, last week saw the 23rd anniversary of 9/11. What does this trio tell us about social psychiatric problems?

You can find Dr Moffic's column on the Boomerang Effect here.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.