Weekly News Round-up April 25 – May 1, 2016
Hello Friends,
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:
Featured:
Mental Health Week – Canadian
Mental Health Association (CMHA)
May 2-8, 2016
This week is mental health week! CMHA is calling on us to break down the stigma
and #GETLOUD for mental health.
CSP will be participating in a Twitter Talk with CMHA Calgary Wednesday, May 4
from 2-3 pm MST so stay tuned to our Twitter feed!
Atausiuqatigiingniq Innuusirmi
Stakeholder Summit for Suicide Prevention
May 4-6, 2016
Stakeholders of Atausiuqatigiingniq Innuusirmi (United for Life) will be coming
together to discuss a long term action plan for suicide prevention in
Nunavut.
Websites like Twitch need to address
suicide prevention, Montreal researcher says – CBC
April 29, 2016
Researcher Carl-Maria Morch says that more needs to be done by all social media
communities to prevent suicide. This comes after the suicide death of businessman
Alexandre Taillefer’s son, who was using Twitch, an online gaming community
platform to talk about his suicide ideation. Taillefer said his family had no
idea that their son was depressed, but that if Twitch had suicide prevention
measures in place, perhaps his son could have been helped.
America’s suicide epidemic is a
national security crisis – Foreign Policy
April 28, 2016
Though suicide is one of the top ten killers in the US, it receives very little
funding and attention when compared to issues like terrorism.
Depression relapse prevention with
mindfulness therapy ‘on par’ with drugs, review shows – CBC
April 27, 2016
A review by the University of Oxford
has found that mindfulness therapy is just as effective as antidepressants as a
treatment for depression.
Is social media making people
depressed? – The Conversation
April 27, 2016
A recent study funded by National
Institute for Mental Health in the US looked at the
“association between social media use and depression among US young
adults.” It was found that there is a strong correlation between social
media and depression, and sometimes increased or frequent social media use can
be a symptom of depression for people who are looking for instant gratification
for a boost in self-esteem.
Fraser Valley Aboriginal youth talk
openly about suicide – CBC
April 26, 2016
Aboriginal youth in Fraser Valley, BC came together to have a conversation
about suicide, and identify what kinds of supports could help with suicide
prevention in their communities.
U of C study addresses link between
breastfeeding and depression – CTV
April 26, 2016
A study at the University of Calgary has found that women who receive positive
breastfeeding support, support that helps the mother as well as the child, are
less likely to experience postpartum depression. It was found that women who
are told to breastfeed very frequently, regardless of exhaustion and stress
levels, were more likely to develop postpartum depression and sometimes quit
breastfeeding altogether. “Positive, clear, and flexible advice that is
specific to (each) situation” was recommended.
Alberta releases report into suicide
deaths of 7 Indigenous youth – CBC
April 25, 2016
Alberta’s Child and Youth Advocate has released a report of recommendations
after 7 Indigenous teens in the Child Intervention Services system died by suicide
in the span of just 18 months. ‘Complex trauma’ was found to be a major risk
factor for the suicide of these teens.
An open, ‘uncomfortable’ conversation
on mental health, suicide and doctor-assisted death – CBC
April 25, 2016
Graeme Bliss, a writer for The Walrus magazine, talks about his recent essay for the magazine and about how he
thinks that the physician-assisted death legislation in Canada doesn’t go far
enough to allow those with suicidal thoughts to die “peacefully, with dignity.”
Youth Summit – Assembly
of First Nations
July 10, 2016
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is hosting a youth summit with the goal of
bringing 150+ First Nations youth together for a conversation about issues
including mental wellness, suicide prevention, and substance abuse.