Depression, Suicide Rates Especially High Among College-Age Men and Women University Announces Honorary Degree Recipients
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TRAIL.PUGETSOUND.EDU THE PUGET SOUND TRAIL THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND Volume 101, Issue 18 April 6, 2012 Established 1910 SECOND-HIGHEST CAUSE OF DEATH University announces Depression, suicide honorary rates especially high degree among college-age recipients By PHILLIP BRENFLECK men and women Alumnus and prominent Ta- coma community member Den- Severe stress can contribute nis Flannigan ’61 and professor emerita in ethics at Massachusetts General Hospital Ruth Purtilo will to development of depression each be awarded with an honorary By ASHLEY GOFF degree from the University during the 120th Commencement Cere- uicide is the second-leading cause of death in college mony on Sunday, May 13. students today. Both recipients are distin- According to the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, guished citizens with an innu- “depression is a mood disorder characterized by a merable list of philanthropic and persistent sad or empty feeling, irritability, and a loss humanitarian achievements. Flan- of interest in everyday activities. The condition is twice as com- nigan will receive an honorary monS in women as in men and is usually episodic. But unlike nor- Doctor of Laws degree and Purti- mal sadness or grieving, most bouts of depression last for weeks, lo an honorary Doctor of Humane months, or even years.” Letters, both of which recognize Depression comes in many forms, spreading from a chronic, their professional accolades and low-grade form of the condition called dysthymia to more severe accomplishments. forms such as bipolar disorder. “Dennis Flannigan and Ruth Although depression itself is usually not considered life-threat- Purtilo have defined their lives ening, it can lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts. According to according to humanitarian prin- Johns Hopkins, as many as 70 percent of suicides in the United ciples that they have embraced States are related to depression, and up to 15 percent of severely consistently and without com- depressed people commit suicide. promise,” says President Ronald These statistics are too high. Fortunately, the overwhelming Thomas. “Their records of ser- majority of people with depression can be helped by counseling vice across decades, their commit- (psychotherapy), antidepressant drugs or other therapies, thus ment to achieving things beyond lowering the suicide risk. But in order for people to get the help anything their communities could they need, more people need to be informed about the disorder have asked, and their generous of- itself, able to identify the warning signs and know what to do to fering of hope for others in the either find help or get help for another. fields of public policy and health Symptoms of depression include persistent feelings of sadness, care tell a story that our 2012 grad- apathy or hopelessness lasting more than two weeks; dimin- uates will value as they, too, head ished interest in most daily activities, particularly pleasurable down the roads they choose for ones; decreased appetite and subsequent weight loss or, converse- the future.” ly, increased appetite and weight gain; lack of sleep (insomnia), Flannigan retired in 2010 after frequent awakening throughout the night, or conversely, an in- four successful terms as a Wash- creased need for sleep; anxiety and/or diminished ability to think ington state representative, and or concentrate. Depression can also be manifested in eating dis- is noted, among other things, for orders, self-harm and anxiety disorders. his work under Washington Gov- Although the cause of depression is unknown in most cases, it ernor Dan Evans, during which is thought to be associated with a combination of medical, genet- he created a program to increase ic and environmental factors. Psychologists believe that imbal- the number of workers from un- ances of chemicals that transmit nerve signals (neurotransmit- derrepresented groups in the State ters) in the brain may also play a role. Department of Public Welfare. He Depression appears to run in families, although no specif- was asked to teach in the social ic genes have been identified. In about 15 percent of cases, de- sciences at Western Washington pression develops in response to a medical illness or from long- University for this effort. term use of some medications, including beta-blockers for high Additionally, he founded the blood pressure and corticosteroids for arthritis. Other causes Pierce County Alliance, which of this “secondary depression” include alcoholism, an underac- provides mental health care and tive thyroid gland, vitamin deficiencies and schizophrenia. Epi- addiction treatment to citizens sodes may be connected to major life events, such as the death in Pierce County; the Emergency of a loved one or loss of a job; anything that causes severe stress. Food Network; the Tacoma Area It is this high amount of stress and pressure that can possibly Council on Giftedness, which the be linked to the extremely high number of college students that University serves as a partner; and suffer from depression. the Pierce County Reading Foun- According to the textbook, “Exploring Psychology” by David dation. G. Myers, which is issued to psychology majors here on campus, Flannigan was elected as a Dem- stress has different sources and effects. Humans use it to cope ocratic state representative in with challenges, and it can even be good sometimes, Myers says, 2002, and has since worked to se- like when it pushes us to complete a task. But severe or long-term cure funding for campaigns such stress can be dangerous. as the Chinese Reconciliation Not only does stress put us at risk for depression, it can also Project, the restoration of Mur- compromise our immune system, making us more likely to get ray Morgan Bridge, the McCarver Park renovation and the Joy Build- SEE DEPRESSION PAGE 2 ing at the University of Washing- ASUPS PHOTO SERVICES/MAX HONCH SEE DEGREES PAGE 2 Logger Spotlight: Pink slime controversy Staceyann Chin Review: Jocelyn Riordan overblown comes to campus In Darkness Sports page 8 Opinions page 4 Features page 7 A&E page 12 2 NEWS The Puget Sound Trail April 6, 2012 [email protected] DEGREES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Library hosts Edible Books Festival ton, Tacoma. He was named an American Leadership Forum Fel- low in 1994 and Citizen of the Year Collins participates in culinary celebration of literature by the Washington State Psycholo- gists Association. By GAELYN MOORE Purtilo trained as a physical therapist and began her career Each year Puget Sound hosts a in rural North Dakota before she chapter of the International Ed- moved to inner-city Chicago. She ible Books Festival. Everyone is joined Project Hope in Colombia, annually invited to submit some- and pursued a humanitarian fel- thing edible inspired by a book. lowship in Swaziland. This is a very broad request and After noticing that healthcare has historically gotten very di- professionals and patients had lost verse results. Books made out of a meaningful sense of being in- seaweed from France to Taco- volved in their own work or recov- ma’s own 2011 entry of a cock- ery, Purtilo enrolled at Harvard tail arrangement entitled “Te- University to study ethics and the quila Mockingbird, A Sidecar philosophical and religious tradi- Named Desire, and The Turn of tions of ethical inquiry. During a Screwdriver”. After a reception her studies there she was named a and awards ceremony on April Joseph P. Kennedy Fellow in Medi- 30, pictures of each entry were cal Ethics. taken posted on the Puget Sound Purtilo has since written six website. books and more than 90 articles The 2012 crowd favorite was about the ethics of health care called “The Eggs Benedict So- practice and policy, including a ciety” with fruit roll-up/model- 1983 prize-winning article pre- ing chocolate monks sitting in dicting major ethical and social is- Oreo chairs around a huge eggs sues that would arise from AIDS. benedict in the center. It was in- Purtilo’s current roles include spired by the young adult novel senior research associate at Mas- The Mysterious Benedict Society. sachusetts General Hospital’s The piece was created by Iso- PHOTO COURTESY/ABBY KAUFMAN Yvonne L. Munn Center for Nurs- bel Ladenburg, a student at Ma- ing Research and presidential vis- son Middle School. The book was iting professor at the University of recommended to her by friends, Inspiration: An entry from the 2011 festival based on the New York Times’ best seller “Eat Pray Love.” Vermont. and although she has yet to read The honorary Doctor in Hu- it she immediately associated the also likes to note that “you don’t came up with after Thanksgiving as an April Fool’s Day tradition. mane Letters will mark Purtilo’s word ‘Benedict’ with her favorite have to bake or cook anything to dinner and soon became interna- There are no rules; anyone can fifth honorary degree, and she breakfast meal. enter,” as can be seen from the tionally celebrated. Other univer- submit anything inspired by, or also holds a distinguished alum- Another campus favorite was a winning submissions. All they sities that participate in this event looking like, or including text. ni award from Harvard Divini- representation of Catch 22 made really look for is creativity, says include Duke University; Univer- For inspiration in next year’s ty School. She is also a Catherine of 22 colored Swedish fish strung judge William Jolly, a professor sity of Illinois; and University of competition Carlin directs our Worthingham Fellow and Mary on a line. This creation was by of culinary arts. “This year’s en- Texas, Austin. While some edible attention to the collection of MacMillian Award recipient of the Mary K. Long, a Puget Sound tries have been much more cre- book festivals, like the one in Se- cookbooks and alternative bak- American Physical Therapy Asso- alumna who graduated in the ative,” he says.