VISN 19 MIRECC

Douglas Gray, MD

MIRECC Investigator

douglas.gray4@va.gov

Doug Gray received his MD from the University of Colorado, completed his internship and fellowship at the University of Utah, and his residency at the University of Colorado-Denver and is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry.

He serves as the Director of Training and Education for the Department of Psychiatry and the Training Director for both the Child Psychiatry Residency and the Triple Board Training Programs at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

In the early 1990s, Dr. Gray designed and implemented the Utah Youth Suicide Study, which led to the development of both public school and juvenile court suicide prevention programs. Dr. Gray’s interest in suicide prevention led to an ongoing study with the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. In April of 2010, Dr. Gray joined the VISN 19 MIRECC and has initiated a focus on the study of Veteran suicides.

Return to Top

Recent Publications (since 2009)

Haws, C., Gray, D.D., Yurgelun-Todd, D.A., Moskos, M., Meyer, L.J., & Renshaw, P.F. (2009). The possible effect of altitude on regional variation in suicide rates. Med. Hypotheses, 73(4): 587-590.

In the United States, suicide rates consistently vary among geographic regions; the western states have significantly higher suicide rates than the eastern states. The reason for this variation is unknown but may be due to regional elevation differences. States' suicide rates (1990-1994), when adjusted for potentially confounding demographic variables, are positively correlated with their peak and capital elevations. These findings indicate that decreased oxygen saturation at high altitude may exacerbate the bioenergetic dysfunction associated with affective illnesses. Should such a link exist, therapies traditionally used to treat the metabolic disturbances associated with altitude sickness may have a role in treating those at risk for suicide.

Keywords: Suicide

Return to Top