Susan T Lindau
University of Southern California, USA
Biography
Susan T Lindau, MSW, LCSW (PhD candidate) has a clinical practice in Los Angeles, CA in which she treats individuals with severe depression and chronic suicidality. She has also been teaching in the Suzanne Dworak School of Social Work of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles for 13 years. She has an online presence in a blog, Therapist of Last Resort, a novel, Comfort Food and is CEO of Santa Monica Center for Acceptance and Change.
Abstract
Depression affects more than 19 million Americans every year. Of the 34 million Americans age 65 and over more than 2 million have some form of depression. In the United Kingdom over 16.7% of the population over the age of 16 displayed symptoms of depression; however, between 2015 and 2016, there was a 3.6% drop in the number of suicides in the UK. Understanding that this disorder can be treated and more importantly, depression can be prevented strengthens the knowledge that suicide is preventable. As health care providers it is our responsibility to assist our clients in enhancing their resilience as well as guiding their families in enhancing their own resiliency. We live in stressful, times and it is essential that we all have the tools required to support our clients in continuing to experience the best quality of life for all of their days. For this reason, our clients and we, as health care providers, must understand that depression is treatable.