Weekly News Roundup – July 17-23, 2017
Every day we scan news headlines and social media for items of interest to the field of suicide prevention. Here’s what we found last week:
Linkin Park US tour cancelled after suicide of Chester Bennington – Reuters
July 20, 2017
Chester Bennington, 41, lead singer of rock band Linkin Park, died by suicide last week. Bennington struggled with mental health throughout his life, and suffered from drug and alcohol abuse.
Ottawa musicians plan benefit show in wake of high profile suicides – CBC
July 21, 2017
‘My mind is a bad neighbourhood’ – Chester Bennington’s moving message about mental health – NME
July 21, 2017
Chester Bennington’s death is a reminder that mental health is a lifelong struggle – ATTN
July 20, 2017
California Today: Stopping jumpers at California’s bridges – New York Times
July 20, 2017
Work on the suicide barriers being installed on the Golden Gate Bridge started in April, and officials are studying whether barriers should be installed on many other California bridges, such as the Coronado Bridge and the Colorado Street Bridge, as it has been shown that people who are prevented from killing themselves in the middle of a suicidal crisis often live long and full lives.
CSP Librarian Robert Olson wrote about the importance of bridge barriers in suicide prevention in the article: ‘Jumping’ and suicide prevention.
Indigenous suicide crisis: hundreds ask for counselling after Pikangikum First Nation sees 2 suicides – HuffPost
July 18, 2017
Last Tuesday mental health workers arrived in Pikangikum First Nation to deal with the suicide crisis there, after 2 youth died by suicide. “There have been literally hundreds of people in this one community alone that have come forward asking for counselling,” said Health Minister Jane Philpott. “We are needing … to supply … safe spaces for people to receive counselling, looking at accommodations for health workers who are going into the community.”
Ontario boosts resources to remote First Nation facing suicide crisis – Globe and Mail
July 23, 2017
Canada committed to improving mental health in Indigenous communities: Philpott – Toronto Star
July 18, 2017
Health Minister Jane Philpott writes in this editorial piece for the Toronto Star that the government is working to improve mental health in Indigenous communities, allocating $118.2 million over 5 years, which added to the $69 million allocated in 2016. Philpott highlights the need for social equality, especially in areas such as education, employment, housing, and community infrastructure. “We must acknowledge the tremendous amount of preventable suffering, trauma and loss of life in the past. But the future is before us, with the obligation to do better, to do right. The path to health and wellness for Indigenous peoples requires reconciliation, justice and equity. Nothing less,” says Philpott.
Learn more about how trauma affects Indigenous people in Canada with our resource toolkit on the subject.
Ontario First Nation ‘in shock’ after two more young people take their own lives – Globe and Mail
July 18, 2017
Pikangikum First Nation has lost four young people in the past three weeks. Anna Betty Achneepineskum, deputy grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, of which Pikangikum is a member community, said that “We’re always responding to crises, and all of the resources that we have are all committed to that part of it, so we really don’t have the resources to develop some proactive and prevention measures.”
Suicide crisis meeting to address reducing bureaucracy faced by Indigenous leaders, federal health minister says – Toronto Star
July 17, 2017
Next week, Health Minister Jane Philpott, the office of Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins, and Indigenous leaders from Northern Ontario will meet to discuss how communities can more quickly access funds meant to help them in times of crisis, funds which are now being held up by bureaucracy and not distributed in a timely manner. Some northern Ontario communities have recently been faced with suicide crisis. “We need to move beyond crisis management and see some permanent structures put in place to help us address youth mental health,” said Alvin Fiddler, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief said. “We need to see some sort of permanent secretariat to address these issues, with input from the federal and provincial levels.”
‘These are our children:’ Sexual abuse and suicide rate among Indigenous youth – CBC
July 20, 2017