Trying Times: Economic Depression

After 40-year-old Ervin Lupoe shot and killed his wife and five young children earlier this week, he faxed a rambling suicide note to the Los Angeles ABC affiliate, KABC.

The letter revealed what Lupoe believed was the justification for his actions. He and his wife, Ana Lupoe, had both been fired from their positions at Kaiser Permanente earlier this month following allegations of fraud and employment misrepresentation.

"So after a horrendous ordeal my wife felt it better to end our lives and why leave our children in someone's else's hands, in addition it seems Kiaser Permanente want's us to kill ourselves and take our family with us. They did nothing to the manager who stated such, and did not attempt to assist us in the matter, knowing we have no job and 5 children under 8 years with no place to go. So here we are." (redacted)

When police arrived at the Lupoe's Wilmington home, they found seven bodies. Ervin Antonio Lupe had killed himself.

Investigators and the media alike were quick to link the Lupoe tragedy to the current economic crisis. Recently Los Angeles has seen it's fair share of murders and suicides brought on by the financial woes of the mentally unstable. Last October, a Porter Ranch man killed himself and his family after losing his job and his investments.

Also last October, a Pasadena woman, apparently upset over the foreclosure of her home, set fire to the house before taking her life.

The Lupoe's faced a financial struggle in the wake of their termination, but experts say it's too early to tell whether or not the current recession is in fact playing a role in the increase in sensationalized suicide cases.

"A number of recent stories in the media have highlighted tragic suicide deaths in the context of the current financial crisis. Although it is true that such stressors can precede a suicide, the issue of causation is much more complicated. In fact, more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying psychiatric disorder at the time of their death, most often depression.

Since the most recent statistics on suicide rates are from 2005, it is nearly impossible to determine the effect, if any, that the recent economic downturn has had on the nation’s suicide rate. And while historically, there have been reports about suicide rates increasing during past economic recessions, direct cause and effect has not been studied or determined." From the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Whether or not the economic recession has played a part in the suicide rate is up for speculation, but that the rate of suicide and suicide murders has increased in the media's eye is not. The AFSP warns of the media's ability to inspire suicide contagion, or copycatting, as a result of the attention being given to high-profile cases such as the Lupoe's.

With unemployment and foreclosure rates skyrocketing, it's easy for some to fall in to a state of depression. With this in mind, many Southern California psychologists and mental health centers are offering free and low cost services to those in need.

For Students
Cal State Northridge and Long Beach offer eight free psychological counseling sessions per academic year for enrolled students. UCLA students can take advantage of CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) for a maximum of $15 per session. Most universities offer some form of psychological help, and it's generally included in student health fees paid with tuition.

• CSUN University Counseling Services- (818)677-2366
• CSULB Counseling and Psychological Services- (562)985-4001
• UCLA CAPS- (310)825-0768
  

For the rest
The most comprehensive site around, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Access Center offers a toll free number for information, referrals, and crisis counseling. Reach them at (800)854-7771.
On the site you'll find phone numbers and locations of help centers across the county. A sample:

• Hollywood Mental Health Center
  1224 N. Vine St.
  Los Angeles, CA 90038
  (323)769-6100
• Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic
  1404 Micheltorena St. (off of Sunset Blvd. in East Hollywood)
  Los Angeles, CA 90026
  (323)661-0718
• LAPSI
  2014 Sawtelle Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA 90025
  (310)478-6541
• Family Services of Santa Monica
  1333 Euclid St.
  Santa Monica, CA 90404
  (310)451-9747
• Open Paths
  12655 Washington Blvd.
  Suite 101
  Culver City, CA 90066
  (310)398-7877

And finally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is for those on the brink of tragedy.

• (800)273-TALK or (800)273-8255