We Care! Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Educational Webinar – Part II

Date: Dec 20, 2023

Category: Health & Wellness / Sickle Cell Disease / Mental Health / Suicide

Participants:

• Moderator 
  • Pat Corley, RN
    
  • Dr. Carolyn Rowley (Cayenne Wellness Center)

• Guest Speakers
  • Dr. Lori Vick

Description: This session addresses the heightened mental health needs of the SCD community—especially during the holiday season when isolation and grief can intensify. Dr. Lori Vick and Nurse Pat Corley define depression and suicide using plain language aligned to clinical criteria, unpack key risk factors (prior attempts, family history, acute mental illness, chronic pain, ACEs, isolation, financial stress, neurobiologic factors), and outline clear warning signs (hopelessness, withdrawal, stockpiling means, substance use, “being a burden,” giving prized belongings away). The presenters debunk myths (asking about suicide does not “put the idea” in someone’s head), review national patterns and disparities (including youth and Black/African American trends), and connect these insights to SCD realities—pain, emergency department experiences, and barriers to being believed. Practical tools (PHQ-9, BDI-FS), referral pathways, and Cayenne Wellness resources—including free mental health support—are highlighted. The session closes with hope, purpose, resilience, and concrete ways community-based organizations and families can respond. 

Key Learning Objectives:

• Identify core DSM-5 features of major depressive disorder and how symptoms may present differently in children/adolescents versus adults with SCD.
  
• Define suicide and suicidal behavior in clear, actionable terms to guide appropriate responses.
  
• Recognize high-priority risk factors (e.g., prior attempts, chronic pain, social isolation, financial distress) and protective factors (connection, purpose, access to care).
  
• Spot warning signs and practice direct, non-euphemistic questions about suicide; know when and how to escalate for safety.
  
• Apply brief screening tools (PHQ-9, BDI-FS) and map results to referral options (therapy, psychiatry, crisis services).
  
• Describe population trends and disparities relevant to the SCD community (youth and Black/African American data) to inform prevention strategies.
  
• Connect participants with Cayenne Wellness services (support groups, transportation, free mental health services) and local/state resources.
  
• Develop compassionate communication strategies that validate lived experience (e.g., stigma, not being believed in clinical settings) and foster resilience, hope, and purpose.
  

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call/text 988 (U.S.) for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or go to the nearest emergency department.