NADIA KAJOUJI'S SUICIDE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED

(Map--Source)

Since I am American, I do not know the health privacy laws of Canada. However, I do know that once a person turns 18, there is no legal obligation for a doctor to reveal or release one's medical records, or even to inform parents or family that their patient has a serious health problem and needs support and additional treatment. Yet, according to Canadian law, and Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's privacy commissioner, a University CAN disclose health information to parents.

BUT WHAT WAS DONE? NOTHING...

Here's an example: The Virginia Tech massacre. Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people, not including himself, and who seriously injured dozens of others was clinically depressed and was seeking treatment; yet due to the HIPAA laws in the United States ("Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act"), no one was informed of his condition.

Look how that ended up. Thirty-three dead and an entire university and community in shambles. What could have been prevented? Why did no one speak out? Even an insurance company has the rights to one's medical records!

These laws are to protect that person's privacy, but there has to be a line drawn in this case and excepts must be made. These conditions are a matter of life and death. It's not as if Nadia was getting an abortion, or in a drug rehabilitation program, where that is kept strictly confidential. But in cases like this, when one is threatening or thinking of suicide, someone must be held accountable for keeping silent.

In my opinion, the University and the lack of their actions are responsible for the death of Nadia. If her doctor would have come out and told her parents that she needed more psychiatric care than what she was receiving, she might still be here. If the University took a moment out of their "busy schedule" to talk to Nadia's family, she might still be here.

This specific Canadian law was put in place to protect people. Not to hide and end up with the grizzly consequence of one's death, or the death of many.

It's time that our society (not just Canada, but the U.S., and the international population as a whole) wakes up, re-evaluates our understanding and education regarding mental health and address it instead of ignoring it by sweeping it under the rug, like so many did in the 1950's-1960's.

This is a disease.
A disease that takes the lives of 1 million
people worldwide per year.

I feel angry and empathize with Nadia's family. Something should have been done. Sometimes one has to "screw the rules". Sometimes rules are meant to be broken. In this situation, it should have been broken...out of the conscience of her doctors or therapists.


She was in dire need of help, but did not receive adequate treatment. For crying out loud, she was corresponding over the internet with a perfect stranger for help! What does that say? How does that reflect our attitudes and priorities? It only shows ignorance, a continuing stigma, and the fact that society, the law, physicians, and health insurance companies DO NOT CARE about those afflicted with depression or other mental illnesses.

If you are reading this and have or are currently suffering depression or any other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, I'm sure you've heard this many times: "Snap out of it!" "Pull yourself up with your boot straps and get on!" "Go exercise!" The list goes on and on.

I am angry with the "system" and the "powers that be". It's disgusting and against all decent human rights. When people need help in situations such as this, hiding or ignoring the problem will only make situations worse and more people will die as a result.

International Suicide Statistics--As of 2005

• Global suicide rates have increased 60% in the past 45 years.

• Over one million people die by suicide worldwide each year. On average, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds somewhere in the world.

• Canada is ranked 40th out of 100 countries with the most suicides.
  

• Worldwide, suicide ranks among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years.

• For every suicide there are at least 20 suicide attempts.

• Self-inflicted injuries represented 1.8 percent of the global burden of disease in 1998 and are expected to increase to 2.4 percent in 2020.

• Suicide rates among young people have been increasing and they are currently the group at highest risk in one third of all countries.

• At least 100,000 adolescents die by suicide every year.
  

(Source)

U.S. Suicide Statistics (2004-2005)

• In 2004, it was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 32,637 deaths.
  

• The United States is ranked 43 out of 100 with the most suicides.

• The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people.

• An estimated eight to 25 attempted suicides occur per every suicide death.

(Source)

Ontario commissioner clarifies medical
privacy rules in wake of student's death

The parents of Nadia Kajouji could legally have been informed by the university that their daughter was being treated for depression, says Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's privacy commissioner.

Nadia Kajouji, an 18 year old Carleton student from Brampton, Ontario, had been last seen in her dorm room on March 9, 2008, and at the time of her disappearance, her parents were unaware that she was being treated for depression.

UNIVERSITY COVER UP?
PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OUTRAGED

Carleton University officials said privacy laws did not allow them to disclose that information to her family, but that isn't true," stated Cavoukian. "That is fiction," she said. "I'm so upset about this that I've just written a letter to the presidents of the universities and colleges in Ontario advising them of the fact sheet that we issued in 2005 advising them of my repeated attempts to set the record straight."

She said it's not easy for a university to decide to disclose such information to a parent, but the law does allow you to do it.

Kajouji's family and friends undertook a massive search effort after her disappearance. Police investigated the incident, but always maintained there was no reason to suspect foul play. A preliminary autopsy on the body also showed no signs of foul play.

The family later learned that their daughter had been taking medication for depression and had talked to a friend online about suicide. (Source)

Mohamad Kajouji, Nadia's father says he's angry university officials didn't tell him his daughter was facing high levels of stress and was undergoing counseling prior to her disappearance. "I was very angry to be very honest with you - at the university, at security and at her doctor..."

(Source)