Whitney Fishburn
Unsung Heroes: Honoring Mental Health ...

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to highlight the vital yet often unacknowledged role of caregivers. For those who support loved ones experiencing mental health challenges, this month is an opportunity to honor their dedication, recognize their struggles, and empower them with resources.

Unsung Heroes: Honoring Mental Health Caregivers During National Family Caregivers Month
Mens Mental Health, mental health, suicide prevention
Whitney Fishburn
Veterans in the Spotlight: Under-Addressed ...

Veterans’ Mental Health: Where We Need to Focus

Veterans face unique mental health challenges that too often go under-addressed, from military sexual trauma and transitional stress to the long-term impact of PTSD. These experiences don’t just affect mental well-being—they can shape every aspect of a Veteran’s life, from personal relationships to reintegration into civilian roles. Yet there is reason to be hopeful: today, more than ever, there’s a focus on empowering Veterans as community and workplace mental health leaders. With evolving peer support programs and resources designed to remove cultural and financial barriers, we’re seeing real progress in providing accessible, culturally competent mental health care. By positioning Veterans at the forefront of these initiatives, we can harness their resilience and leadership, creating stronger communities and workplaces while ensuring they receive the support they deserve.

Veterans in the Spotlight: Under-Addressed Mental Health Challenges and Effective Resources
Whitney Fishburn
The Papageno Effect: Harnessing Positive ...

Earlier this year,  I attended the European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behavior (ESSSB) in Rome. One of the plenary presentations by Prof Thomas Niederkrotenthaler, of the Medical University of Vienna,  illuminated the powerful impact of the “Papageno Effect” on suicide prevention. 

The Papageno Effect: Harnessing Positive Storytelling for Hope and Recovery in Suicide Prevention
Whitney Fishburn
Want to combat mental health stigma? Don't say ...

It seems that any time we hear the words “suicide” or “mental health”, the word stigma follows right after.  The word “stigma”, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means a “mark of disgrace”.

Instead of talking about stigma incessantly, let’s stop to consider how by focusing on it, we ensure it stays in place, forever associated with mental health challenges. The net result is that people who are struggling are all too often reluctant to seek help, since they are constantly reminded that having a mental health issue is a mark of disgrace. 

What if we reframe stigma as a form of bias, rather than something to be ashamed of? Doing so would help normalize help-seeking for mental health concerns, creating the expectation that getting help is reasonable and even preferable.  

Want to combat mental health stigma? Don't say ‘stigma’!
suicide prevention, workplace mental health
Sally Spencer-Thomas
I Didn't Get the Jock Genes—Why I Still Find ...

Growing up in a family of natural athletes, I always felt like the odd one out, struggling to find my place in the world of sports. But when I discovered running, everything changed. This blog explores how running became more than just exercise for me—it became a powerful tool for self-care, resilience, and finding peace.

I Didn't Get the Jock Genes—Why I Still Find Running an Important Part of My Self-Care Strategy

depression in veterinarians

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Reasons You Should Be Concerned about Suicide in the Animal Welfare/Medicine Industry

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Reasons You Should Be Concerned about Suicide in the Animal Welfare/Medicine Industry

...One example of a “caring for others” profession is veterinary medicine and animal welfare. Animal rescue professionals and veterinarians fit Thomas Joiner’s model of why people die by suicide: Constant exposure to death and feelings of hopelessness lead to an acquired ability for lethal self-injury, and they have access to lethal means in the form of drugs.

People are often drawn to the demanding professions because of their love of animals, but they soon discover that a large part of the job involves ending the lives of beloved pets and otherwise health animals. In fact, vets come face-to-face with death at five times the rate of physicians. Both veterinarians and animal rescue professionals are witness to the agonizing situation of pet owners choosing to have their companions euthanized because treatment is too expensive or too difficult or because breeding was uncontrolled and the family has become overwhelmed....