WHO:
Wayne State Medical Expert
David Rosenberg, M.D., The Miriam L. Hamburger Endowed Chair of Child Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry at Wayne State University's School of Medicine.

Dr. Rosenberg is an internationally known medical expert on psychiatric disorders particularly in children and young adults. He was interviewed on ABC's Primetime in 2009 about the role the chemical glutamate plays in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder. Segments also were aired on ABC World News Tonight.

WHAT:
Dr. Rosenberg is available to discuss the psychiatric aspects of how a young adult can become a killer - as evidenced in the recent tragedy in Arizona involving Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others. Rosenberg also can discuss how the recovery of shooting victims can be enhanced by the touches and voices of loved ones.

Dr. Rosenberg's comments on Giffords' recovery:

"Social isolation is a recognized risk factor for psychopathology including depression. Having a community and social network can not only promote health, but also facilitate recovery. Moreover, we know that various kinds of touch -- for example, massage therapy -- can decrease anxiety, depression, obsessive and compulsive symptoms. There is growing evidence that touches, particularly by someone close to you, can play an enormous role in healing/recovery and promotion of health. One of the things we look for in psychiatry is the social network, community, that promotes resilience, recovery and health. Being isolated and not having this exacerbates risk. In psychiatry, particularly when working with our medical colleagues and to help protect/recover from post-traumatic stress disorder faster, we look for social networks, supportive family and friends who can make an enormous difference. Hope versus no hope can often be tied into how much family support and people are nearby during the time of illness/injury. There is no question at all that having family and friends can accelerate recovery and frankly promote health."

INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS:
For interview arrangements with Dr. Rosenberg, please contact Cheryl Yurkovich at (313) 577-8096 or cyurkovich@wayne.edu.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.