蜜桃视频

鈥淐onsidering the overall population density of 蜜桃视频, that suicide rate is really high, and it is the 10^th leading cause of death overall in the state,鈥� said Austin, chair and professor of the ISU Department of Biological Sciences.

Austin was recently the keynote speaker for the statewide 14^th annual 蜜桃视频 INBRE Research Conference in Moscow. His talk focusing on major depressive disorders, which relates to suicide, has messages that can resonate with the general public, especially with National Suicide Prevention Day coming up Sept. 10. The title of his lecture at the INBRE conference was 鈥淧athophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder: Serotonin, Sex Differences and Novel Therapeutic Targets.鈥�

Citing information from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, one of the entities responsible for the suicide prevention day and week, Austin emphasized the link between suicide, major depression and other mental illnesses.

鈥淔ifteen percent of people with major depression will go on to commit suicide,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淢ajor depression is a chronic illness and, according to the World Health Organization, by the year 2020 depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease.鈥�

He also noted the total cost of depression in the United States is more than $80 billion a year and that it is the most frequently seen psychiatric illness in primary care settings. Only about half of individuals with major depression show good remission and response to available treatments. Austin also noted the prevalence of mental illness and access to health care in 蜜桃视频. 蜜桃视频 ranks in the bottom 10 states with high rates of mental illness but low rates of access to care.

鈥淚 think a contributing factor to the high rate of suicide in the state is that we lack mental health services available to people who struggle with mental illness,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淭hey are not getting the health care that they need in the state.鈥�

Austin said he hopes to help develop a neuroscience graduate program, with psychiatric neuroscience as a component of the program, at ISU. This neuroscience graduate program is in ISU鈥檚 five-year plan, but the planning is only in its initial stages.

鈥淲e鈥檇 like to educate students here on the neurobiology of certain psychiatric and neurological disorders and conditions,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淢y hope is that students getting that type of degree can help facilitate mental health programs and awareness in the state.鈥�

The neurobiology and neuroscience of major depression has been Austin鈥檚 research focus during his entire career.  A major part of his research focuses on the sex difference of major depression. The prevalence of depression is twice the rate in women than in men.

鈥淲omen are at a much higher risk of developing depression, and given all the research that has been done focusing on depression, it is really remarkable that we don鈥檛 have a better understanding of the biological mechanisms that make women more vulnerable, compared to men, with this mental illness鈥� Austin said. 鈥淲e have found some interesting changes in the serotonin system we鈥檝e documented in women with depression that we don鈥檛 see in men with depression.鈥�

Austin studies the serotonin system and treatment strategies for treating major depression.