War, Mental Disorder and Suicide

War, Mental Disorder and Suicide

(Loncar et al. Coll. Antropol. 28 (2004) 1: 377–384, Zagreb)

“War as a human disaster of major significance has led to an increase in the number of suicides committed by people suffering from mental disorders. Considering the results of similar research, we were particularly interested in the effect that war has on the incidence of suicide among of people with mental disorders. The research included 16,362 patients with mental disorders, treated at the Clinic for Psychiatry at the Clinical Hospital Split during the nine-year timeframe which were divided into pre-war (April 6th 1988 – April 7th 1991), wartime (April 6th 1991 – April 7th 1994) and post-war (April 6th 1997 –  2000) periods… In our research, we found a statistically significant difference in suicide incidence between three observed periods …with the incidence being the highest during the wartime period …With this research we intended to offer a better understanding of the complexity of the suicide problem…”

During WWII the cherry blossom was a symbol of the beauty and transience of life used to motivate kamikaze pilots.   Fliers painted them on the sides of their planes or carried branches with them in their cockpits.

Here in Philadelphia for the past week, we have enjoyed tranquil, temperate weather and the blossoms have emerged in force.

These were taken at Morris Arboretum.