Chicagoans have recently noticed a new public health and safety message as they ride the “L.” The signage on several Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains and busses serving over 140 stations is sponsored by the Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin (MISSD).
CHICAGO, Nov. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicagoans have recently noticed a new public health and safety message as they ride the “L.” The signage on several Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains and busses serving over 140 stations is sponsored by the Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin (MISSD). The signs increase awareness of akathisia.
“Akathisia is a disorder, induced as a side effect of medications, which can cause a person to experience such intense inner restlessness that the sufferer is driven to violence, self-harm and/or suicide,” said Wendy Dolin, Founder of MISSD. Dolin is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice whose husband, Reed Smith attorney Stewart Dolin, died an akathisia-induced death in 2010. “Akathisia can occur when stopping, starting or changing the dosage of certain medications. While many different classes of medications can cause akathisia—from antibiotics to antidepressants—the public is largely unaware of akathisia,” said Dolin.
In addition to CTA signage, MISSD has a new public service video and free, one-hour continuing education course. Accredited by the National Association of Social Workers, the online Akathisia 101 course is available at missd.learnupon.com. “We designed the course for a wide variety of learners to include caregivers, first-responders, patients, families, university students and medical professionals,” said Dolin.
Dolin was recently honored by the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP) for her safe-patient advocacy.
“The ISEPP Special Achievement award is intended for a professional or non-professional who has made a significant specific contribution to challenging the conventional mental health system,” said Dr. Chuck Ruby, ISEPP Executive Director. “Dolin’s advocacy and devotion to her husband’s memory is inspiring and warrants the receipt of ISEPP’s Special Achievement Award.”
In 2017, Dolin sued the drug manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), for product liability stating suicide risks associated with the drug, paroxetine, were concealed. A jury concluded GSK failed to properly warn of these risks and awarded Dolin damages. An appeals court overturned the ruling and Dolin will be petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
“MISSD is not anti-drug and recognizes prescription drugs can be positive and life-saving for many. We are for truth in disclosure, honesty in reporting and legitimate drug trials,” said Dolin.
For more information, visit missd.co.
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SOURCE MISSD
