Research Roundup – November 2025
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This is a summary of the latest significant Canadian (
) and international suicide research we collected in the past month.
Pons, E. et al. (2025). Ageism and suicide: A structural equation modeling analysis and evaluation of a high-fidelity simulation-based intervention for future healthcare professionals. Geriatric Nursing, 66(C), 103674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.103674
Ageism is an increasingly common form of discrimination. Ageism’s effects on mental health and increased risk of suicide among middle-aged and older adults has been found in some research. In this study, nursing and psychology students were surveyed about mistaken beliefs about suicide and ageing.
Abstract – Background: Ageism is recognized by the World Health Organization as the third most common form of discrimination globally. In middle-aged and older adults, this type of discrimination has been linked to poorer mental health outcomes and an increased risk of suicide. However, this connection remains insufficiently studied. Gaining deeper insight into how ageism contributes to suicide risk is essential to inform prevention strategies and improve care for older populations. In this context, high-fidelity clinical simulation emerges as a promising educational approach to train professionals, foster empathy, and reduce age-related biases in mental health care. Aims: To analyse the relationship between mistaken beliefs about suicide and ageism and to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical simulation in reducing ageism in students. Methods: Quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 370 nursing and psychology students participated. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to relate mistaken beliefs about suicide and the subdimensions of the CENVE questionnaire on stereotypes towards old age. Results: Students underestimated the risk of suicide in older adults. Misconceptions about suicide predicted ageist attitudes. High-fidelity simulation significantly reduced stereotypes on motivation and personality dimensions. A well-fitting model (x2 = 218.612; df = 111; CFI = 0.942; RMSEA = 0.045; CI [.036.054]; SRMR = 0.039) showed that the “attention-seeking” suicide myth significantly predicted ageist attitudes in health, motivation, and personality. The “normal-for-age” myth significantly predicted ageist health and personality stereotypes. Conclusions: Clinical simulation is effective in reducing ageism and encourages a more empathetic and respectful approach to suicidal ideation and behavior in older adult.
Wang, L. et al. (2025). Gambling disorder and suicide: A meta-epidemiology study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 192, 312-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.10.067
This review of 14 studies analyzes relationships between gambling disorders and suicide outcomes (ideation, attempted suicide, or suicide mortality).
Abstract – Objective: This meta-analysis aims to explore the relationship between gambling disorder (GD) and suicide, with a focus on the increased risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide mortality in GD patients. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception to March 2025 for observational studies examining the association between GD and suicide risk, using relevant MeSH/keywords. Study quality was assessed via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were pooled using random-effects models in STATA 14.0, with results expressed as adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses evaluated influences of study design and geographic region. Result: This meta-analysis included 14 high-quality observational studies, and the results of the meta-analysis were unbiased. Fourteen studies demonstrated significant associations between GD and suicide outcomes: suicidal ideation [OR = 1.58], suicide attempt [OR = 2.91], and suicide mortality [OR = 8.52]. Subgroup analysis by study design showed non-significant risk in case-control studies [OR = 1.59], but significant risk in cross-sectional [OR = 3.31] and cohort studies [OR = 4.10]. Geographically, Asian studies showed non-significant association [OR = 1.13], while significant risks were observed in Europe [OR = 4.38], North America [OR = 2.41] and Oceania [OR = 2.16]. Conclusion: Research shows that gambling disorders are linked to a higher risk of suicide. This association may vary across populations and context.
Starkey, A. et al. (2025). An examination of measurement invariance of the Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 55(5), e70057. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.70057
The Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale (B-SCS), a self-report measure for suicidal behaviours, is examined in this study. 2000 undergraduate students were surveyed between 2022 and 2023.
Abstract – Background: The Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale (B-SCS) is a self-report measure of suicidogenic cognitions. This study evaluated measurement invariance of the B-SCS among different subgroups. Secondarily, this study sought to evaluate the replicability of the psychometric validity, reliability, and factor structure of the B-SCS. Methods: Participants included undergraduate students (N = 2000) recruited between 2022 and 2023. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were conducted comparing participants by race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Results: Results support the existence of a unidimensional factor structure of the B-SCS. Multigroup CFA analyses yielded all levels of measurement invariance across White and Black, Hispanic and Non-Hispanic, cisgender men and women, and heterosexual and sexual minority individuals. Additionally, the B-SCS was found to have strong internal consistency and good concurrent validity. Finally, the B-SCS was able to discriminate between participants who had a history of suicide attempts and those who did not. Conclusion: These results indicate that the B-SCS is a valid and reliable tool to be used in assessing suicidogenic cognitions. Moreover, results from measurement invariance analyses indicate that this tool may be viable to use within specific sub-populations examined within this study.
() Gay, M. et al. (2025). Examining the perceptions and attitudes of Nova Scotia’s healthcare workers toward suicidal youth and their families. Crisis, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000998
In this study, healthcare workers in Nova Scotia were surveyed to assess their “perceptions, attitudes and emotional responses” when working with youth experiencing suicidality.
Abstract – Background: Youth suicidality presents challenges for healthcare workers, particularly in Nova Scotia, Canada, where rates exceed national averages. Professional confidence, comfort, and anxiety in managing suicidal youth may be associated with training and education. Aims: This study examined associations between healthcare workers’ educational backgrounds, their mental health training, and their perceptions, attitudes, and emotional responses when working with suicidal youth. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 123 healthcare workers in Nova Scotia assessed demographics, training, and clinical responses. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, t-tests, and regression analyses (adjusting for experience) examined associations between training, confidence, comfort, and anxiety. Results: Participants reported moderate confidence (M = 3.7, SD = 0.9) and comfort (M=3.7, SD = 0.9), with higher anxiety (M=3.0, SD = 1.0), particularly in family-related contexts (M=3.5, SD = 1.1). General training was associated with greater confidence and comfort but not significantly with anxiety. Specialized training (e.g., mental health degrees) was associated with lower anxiety and reduced avoidance of suicidal youth and families. Limitations: The cross-sectional design, self-report measures, and purposive sampling limit causal inference and generalizability. Conclusion: Findings suggest training type relates to professional responses, highlighting the need for further research on tailored educational interventions
Kim, M. et al. (2025). Preventing suicide in jails: Examining community, facility and individual differences. Criminal Justice and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548251376919
Data from American jail facilities from 2011 to 2019 were examined to determine factors related to suicide risk.
Abstract – Suicide remains the leading cause of death in U.S. correctional facilities, underscoring the importance of identifying factors contributing to elevated risk. Drawing on national data on jail fatalities from 2011 to 2019, this study examines suicide risk across macro-level (community infrastructure), meso-level (facility characteristics), and micro-level (individual vulnerabilities) domains. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that, at the micro-level, being young, White, male, unconvicted, or serving a short length of stay increases suicide likelihood. Rural isolation is associated with higher suicide rates, whereas overcrowding is linked to lower rates. Interaction models further demonstrate that rural jails without overcrowding experience the highest suicide rates. Findings highlight the complex interplay among individual, facility, and community factors, pointing to the need for targeted, multi-level prevention efforts. Policy, practice, and research implications are discussed to inform evidence-based strategies for reducing suicide in correctional settings.
Scalzo, P. et al. (2025). Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical determinants of repeat suicide attempts: A retrospective study of emergency department visits at a community hospital. Cureus, 17(10). e94712. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.94712
This study analyzed data from an American Emergency Department (ED) for visitations concerning attempted suicide and self-harming behaviours. The aim was to describe the populations with repeat visits and what factors influence those re-visitations.
Abstract – Background: Suicide is a critical public health issue in the United States, yet research is lacking on understanding the population that visits the Emergency Department (ED) for repeated suicide attempts (SA) and self-harm (SH). Aims: Our aims are to identify and describe the population that revisits the ED for SA/SH, and to determine the factors that influence revisit rates. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from August 2022 to April 2024, reviewing ED visits from January 2019 to December 2021 at a single center. Data on demographics, diagnoses, family history, stressors, and outpatient care were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and correlation, were conducted. Results: Among 138 participants (mean age 34.47 years), 83 (60.14%) were female, 86 (62.32%) were White, and 77 (55.80%) were on Medicaid. Psychiatric illness was present in 118 (85.51%), with depressive disorders most common, 76 (64.41%). Almost half of participants, 64 (46.38%), had a family psychiatric history, 28 (20.29%) participants had a diagnosis of hypertension and they had a significantly higher average revisit rate (p = 0.049), and 64 (46.38%) participants used a substance during SA/SH, with alcohol being the most frequently used. Oral medication was the most common method for SA, 145 (54.92% of SAs). Prior to the study period, 43 participants (31.16%) had seen a PCP, and only 70 ED visits (20.23%) resulted in scheduled outpatient follow-up. No significant differences were found between revisits and sex, age, payer status, or income (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that psychiatric illness, substance use, and a family history of psychiatric disorders were highly prevalent among individuals with repeat ED visits for SA/SH. We propose that improving scheduled follow-up care after an event, encouraging PCP suicide-risk assessment, and medication management could serve as key intervention areas to reduce reattempts. Future research should focus on targeted interventions for high-risk populations, such as those with chronic diseases such as hypertension.
() Whitley, R. et al. (2025). Good news? Time-trends in fidelity to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines in the Canadian news media from 2019-2023. European Psychiatry, 68(S1), S228. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.518
3,332 news articles mentioning “suicide” were gathered from Canadian news sources from 2019 to 2023. Whitley and team assessed these stories for adherence to 12 key suicide reporting guidelines.
Abstract – Introduction: Research indicates that detailed and sensational media coverage of suicide can contribute to suicide mortality, known as the Werther Effect. Other research indicates that responsible reporting of suicide can promote hope and resilience, which can reduce suicidality, known as the Papageno effect. This has led to the development of responsible reporting of suicide guidelines. In Canada, these are contained in a booklet called Mindset, which was co-created by journalists and mental health experts. Mindset lists bullet-pointed recommendations for journalists, and has been widely disseminated to newsrooms, journalism schools and media professionals across the country, in tandem with educational activities aimed at journalists by suicide prevention experts. Objectives: The overall aim of this study is to assess fidelity to Mindset responsible reporting of suicide guidelines in the Canadian media over a multi-year period. A secondary objective is to assess whether fidelity to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly different to pre/post pandemic reporting of suicide. Methods: We collected articles from 47 different Canadian national and regional news sources mentioning the word suicide on a daily basis from April 1st 2019 to March 31st 2023 (N=3,232). Each article was read and assessed for adherence to 12 key suicide reporting guidelines using a purposely-built coding sheet, derived from the Mindset guidelines. Trends in reporting were analyzed through time series analyses using a GLARMA model in R. software, including measuring for change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Significant increases in putatively protective content were observed over the four years, including rises in the inclusion of help-seeking information and the quotation of experts. Similarly, there was a general decrease in content that is putatively harmful, for example significantly fewer articles in latter years gave a monocausal explanation of suicide, used sensational language or described in detail any suicide method. That said, fewer than one-third of articles in the final year included educational content about suicide, help-seeking information, or quotes from suicide experts. Reporting of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic showed some positive improvements compared to pre-pandemic reporting, but these were not sustained post-pandemic. Conclusions: Fidelity to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines improved over the four-year period, especially recommendations concerning putatively helpful content. However there remains room for improvement regarding inclusion of putatively protective content such as including help-seeking inform.
Jarvis, R. et al. (2025). Development of the PRINTQUAL-web tool for assessing the quality of online news reporting of suicide. Crisis, 46(3), 166-175. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a001005
In this paper, PRINTQUAL (a tool for assessing newspaper reporting of suicide) was adapted for online news reports of suicide. The authors conducted a content analysis of 342 British online articles published in 2020 and 2021.
Abstract – Background: Suicide prevention strategies internationally recommend promoting responsible media reporting of suicide to reduce negative impacts on population suicides. Existing tools to assess the quality of suicide reporting do not capture specific harmful features of the online setting. We aimed to adapt PRINTQUAL, a tool for assessing newspaper reporting of suicide, for online news reports. Methods: We identified all online news reports about the 2020 suicide of a British female television celebrity over a 14-month period and used content analysis to identify features of poor-quality and good-quality reporting based on media guidelines on suicide reporting. We gained expert consensus on items to include negative/poor-quality and positive/good-quality subscales for the new tool: PRINTQUAL-web. Weightings were calculated using an expert judgement ranking exercise. Results: Content analysis of 342 online articles published from 15/02/20 to 05/04/21 identified 18 items for a proposed negative/poor-quality subscale and four items for a positive/good-quality subscale, gaining consensus on inclusion/exclusion and weightings, and rescaling scores for easier interpretation. Limitations: PRINTQUAL-web does not account for article prominence or quantitative reach (e.g., views or circulation) and relies on a binary agree/disagree rating which may not capture nuance. Conclusions: The PRINTQUAL-web and PRINTQUAL tools assess the quality of online and print reporting of suicide, respectively, with rescaling permitting score comparisons across different corpora of reporting.
() Men, Y. et al. (2025). Suicide deaths by gas inhalation in Toronto, Canada—an observational study of emerging methods of suicide from 1998 to 2020. Crisis, 46(5). https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a001015
This study looks at trends involving gas inhalation as a means of suicide in the city of Toronto. 229 suicide deaths were culled from coroner’s records from 1998 to 2020 and time trends were explored.
Abstract – Background: Inert gases are an emerging means of suicide in Toronto, Canada. Trends in suicide by these methods change over time, yet long-term patterns remain uncharacterized in cities like Toronto. Aims: To update trends in suicide using inhalational gas and explore the profiles of individuals using different methods in Toronto. Methods: Suicide deaths were identified from coroner’s records and classified by suicide methods. Time trends were explored, and bivariate analyses were performed to characterize differences in profiles between groups. Results: There were 229 suicide deaths by inert gas between 1998 and 2020. For 2016–2020, suicide by nitrogen increased by 100%, whereas there was a decrease in suicide by helium (−38%) and charcoal burning (−57%) compared to 2011–2015. Males comprised a higher proportion of inhalational gas deaths compared to other methods. Individuals who died by compressed gas and charcoal burning were more likely to have left suicide notes compared to people who died by other methods. Limitations: The number of suicide deaths by gas inhalation may be underestimated due to potential misclassification. Conclusions: Suicide prevention strategies including restricting access to suicidal means, providing helpline information on the products, and responsible media reporting should each be advocated for.
Robinson, J. et al. (2025). Australia’s social media age limit: A “seatbelt moment” or a missed opportunity for a nuanced approach? Crisis, 46(5), 145-153. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a001014
Australia has passed a law that mandates a minimum age of 16 for accessing some social media platforms that will come into effect in December 2025. This editorial looks at the potential harms and benefits that exist regarding online safety and suicide prevention. It analyzes the pending legislation and offers suggestions to bolster a possible framework to improve online safety, especially pertaining to self-harm and suicide.
Abstract – Rates of self-harm and suicide-related thoughts and behaviors are high among young people and there are growing concerns about the potential role of social media on this, and on youth mental health more broadly. These concerns have led several countries to strengthen their legislative approaches to online safety, in particular as they relate to young people. In Australia, a mandatory minimum age of 16 for young people accessing some social media platforms will come into effect in December 2025 (Online Safety Amendment [Social Media Minimum Age] Bill; Parliament of Australia, 2024). However, what is being referred to as the “social media ban” will almost certainly also have unintended harmful consequences for some young people.