Sometimes making life worth living means working to educate other physicians about the impact mood disorders and depression may have on themselves and their colleagues.

Dr. Jerry Halverson will give a Grand Rounds presentation titled “Physician Suicide: A Preventable Tragedy” for the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Department of Psychiatry on Feb. 9, 2011.

The latest research shows physicians have a much higher incidence of successful suicide than non-physicians of the same age group. “We’ll be taking a look at suicide risk factors and barriers to treatment in physicians,” Halverson said.

Over 400 physicians a year are lost to suicide, he said. “These deaths are preventable if we do what we can to bring attention to problem. Talking about depression and reducing the stigma that still inhibits those conversations can help to save lives,” Halverson said.

Dr. Halverson, is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with a subspecialty in psychosomatic medicine. He serves as medical director for adult services at Rogers Memorial Hospital - Oconomowoc.