LANSING, Mich. - Stroke patients interested in music and art recovered better than those who didn't, according to a new study from Italy. Next week, an award-winning documentary with a similar theme comes to Michigan.
"Inside the Perfect Circle: The Odyssey of Joel Thome" chronicles the life and work of the world-renowned composer and conductor, and how music helped him recover from a debilitating stroke and return to the stage.
Doctors sometimes describe strokes as a brain attack. Thome says he remembers his well.
"When I was on the floor, having hit the floor after my stroke, I went through every note of some of the scores of Stravinsky and Mahler."
After the stroke, Thome says, he continued to memorize music and use music therapy in his rehabilitation. Because he never regained the use of his left arm and can't turn the pages, he now memorizes all scores he conducts and says it makes him feel much more free to focus on the piece and the musicians.
Thome considers his stroke and recovery an affirmation of his belief in the power of music.
"I always, since I was a child, felt that there was a relationship between music and healing. I realized along the way that mind is the healer, and music is the messenger."
While some people might think having a stroke in the middle of a successful career would be a great tragedy, Thome does not.
"While I was in the hospital, I said, 'This was a blessing.' "
Even though Thome's left arm is paralyzed and he walks with a cane, he says he lives an active and fulfilled life. He teaches at the State University of New York at Purchase, collaborates with friends at a performing-arts school in India, and is the music director for Orchestra of Our Time in New York.
According to the American Heart Association, stroke is America's No. 4 killer - and knowing the symptoms and getting immediate help can save a life.
Thome will screen the documentary and discuss his experiences April 18 at the annual conference of the National Association of Social Workers' Michigan Chapter in Kalamazoo. Information on the conference is online at nasw-michigan.org.
Learn about stroke warning signs at strokeassociation.org. Details of the study are at eurekalert.org.
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More than 1,000 family members of firefighters who died in the line of duty, including some from Texas, will gather in Emmitsburg, Maryland, starting this Friday, to honor their loved ones.
The occasion is the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend and 13 of the firefighters being honored are from Texas.
Victor Stagnaro, CEO of the National Firefighters Foundation, said their names will be added to a memorial wall.
"Every firefighter that's died in the line of duty since 1981 has their name inscribed on a bronze plaque that's mounted on a marble wall," Stagnaro explained. "The monument itself at the center is a marble sphere, I would say, and there's a flame that never goes out."
Fire chiefs from around the country will present the families with a rose, a badge and an American flag flown at the U.S. Capitol and the memorial site. Anyone who would like to honor the firefighters can participate in "Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters," this Wednesday through Sunday night, by lighting their homes, businesses and other landmarks with red lights, or by signing a virtual remembrance banner on the foundation's website.
The Foundation was formed in 1992 to not only honor those firefighters who pass away but provide support for their relatives. Through a "Fire Hero Family Network," survivors are matched with others who have similar experiences and circumstances. Stagnaro pointed out assistance is available for however long it's needed.
"We continue to support those families -- through scholarships, through wellness conferences, we have kid's camps -- all other types of activities to help support those families throughout the year," Stagnaro outlined.
He added relatives of people honored in previous years will be in attendance this weekend to offer support to those who are just beginning their journey. This year's tribute is for 226 fallen firefighters nationwide.
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New continuing education classes can help New York psychologists better work with disabled patients.
The courses center on understanding disabilities - providing universal access for patients with disabilities, ethics, and cultural competence.
Sharon McLennon-Wier, Ph.D. - executive director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York - said in developing the curriculum, there were certain takeaways people should have.
"The first step really is for people to understand that a disability is a disability, and there are going to be barriers to the environment with it," said McLennon-Wier. "And we need to work together to ensure that each and every person has access to treatment."
Other takeaways are ensuring clinicians are aware of their expectations, noting they're not trained to work with every single client.
It's taken two years to get these courses up and running, and McLennon-Wier said she is eager to see how these will shape up.
The first course begins on May 29 and anyone interested can register online at www.cidny.org/ce.
There's also a hope psychologists will learn about confronting their stigmas toward disabilities.
McLennon-Wier said she feels this begins by looking through the lens of ableism. She said people should consider how they implement universal access for disabled patients.
"Does your biases prevent you from utilizing the knowledge of treatment that you have?" said McLennon-Wier. "Does it work with what's needed by that person who has a disability because first is the treatment practice, but also you have to understand the implications of disabilities."
Other considerations should be given to issues like the segregation disability creates. She said she thinks certain determinants of health like race and gender also impact a person's mental health.
Future classes could deal with different psychological treatments with an infusion of multicultural disability competence.
Disclosure: Center for Independence of the Disabled New York contributes to our fund for reporting on Disabilities. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Rates of suicide among young people have increased by about 36% in roughly the last two decades and the surge has caught the attention of federal policymakers.
The Biden administration has a new National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and a Federal Action Plan, highlighting the need for a coordinated approach to prevention and equity in treatment and research. It follows the Bipartisan Policy Center's launch of a youth mental health task force in January.
Val Demings, co-chair of the Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force and a former member of Congress from Florida, said in Sioux Falls last week rural communities face unique mental health challenges.
"For example, having access to care, the affordability of care, removing the stigma," Demings outlined. "You may be in a substandard educational setting. You may also have substance abuse, addiction in the household. And so we have got to, as a nation, deal with the social ills that cause decay in certain communities in the first place."
A big focus of the task force is a link between suicide and increased use of technology and social media. The U.S. Surgeon General said young teens who spend more than three hours a day on social media are at double the risk of mental health struggles, including depression and anxiety.
Technology can also be used to help deliver health care services in rural places. In 2021, the Helmsley Charitable Trust launched a virtual crisis care program in South Dakota, equipping law enforcement with iPads, so they can connect people with mental health professionals by video.
Walter Panzirer, trustee of the trust, has seen positive results.
"We had a 75% reduction of transports to the mental health facilities," Panzirer pointed out. "They were able to get care at home, locally; 25% of the calls were for youth."
People living in rural places are almost twice as likely to complete suicide than those living in large cities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said South Dakota had the fifth-highest suicide rate in the country in 2021 at over 200 deaths.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Disclosure: The Bipartisan Policy Center contributes to our fund for reporting on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Health Issues, Hunger/Food/Nutrition, and Mental Health. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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