Weekly News Round Up May 2 – 8, 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
Last week was Mental Health Week, and CMHA’s #GETLOUD
for mental health campaign encouraged Canadians to speak out about mental
health and break down the stigma. CSP was happy to be part of the campaign; we
sent out tweets about the importance of breaking down the stigma, participated
in a Twitter Talk with CMHA Calgary, and sat on a panel in the Mental Film
Festival event in Calgary.
Find out more on our blog
First Nations suicide crisis line expands to cover all BC –
CBC
May 7, 2016
KUU-US is a crisis line specifically tailored to Indigenous people, and up
until just recently, was only available to people living in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth
territory. The crisis line has now been expanded to become available to all
Indigenous communities and people in BC. The crisis line, started in 1993 in
Port Alberni, is the only Aboriginal crisis line in Canada.
Iqualuit suicide prevention summit compiles communities’ best
practices – CBC
May 6, 2016
A suicide prevention summit of Nunavut leaders and stakeholders have identified
wellness programs throughout the region in an attempt to come up with a
comprehensive suicide prevention plan for the territory.
What not to say to a child with mental health issues – CBC
May 6, 2016
A new resource developed by BC’s Institute for Families for Child and Youth Mental Health is
helping parents learn how to better respond to their children’s fears and
anxieties. Active listening, validation, and further questioning are encouraged
as opposed to dismissive phrases such as “There’s nothing wrong with you,
you’re fine.”
Why you should be wary of suicide prevention apps – Reuters
May 6, 2016
A study has found that many suicide prevention apps are
encouraging people in crisis to seek help from peers, as opposed to crisis
lines or a trained professional such as a physician or counsellor. It was also
found that the apps contained “potentially harmful content” like
listing lethal means and encouraging risky behaviour in a crisis.
This new discovery about bisexual teen girls is troubling –
Teen Vogue
May 6, 2016
A new study examining mental health and sexual identity has found that teenage
girls who identify as bisexual are more likely to report depression and
suicidal ideation when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Interestingly,
“with the exception of lifetime suicidiality, women who reported exclusive
attraction to other women were actually no more at risk than women only
attracted to men for depression, anxiety, traumatic distress, current
suicidiality or substance abuse,” said one researcher involved in the
study. "I think this contradicts previous findings that same-sex
attraction is always a risk factor for mental health symptoms.“
Lingering – BuzzFeed
May 5, 2016
Focusing in on the Alberta Cree Community of Maskwacis, one of many First
Nations communities facing high suicide rates in Canada, this article delves
into the risk factors and history that help explain why some Aboriginal
communities have such high instances of suicide.
Justin Trudeay to meet Attawapiskat chief in wake of more
suicide attempts – CBC
May 5, 2016
PM Trudeau has agreed to meet with Chief Shisheesh, whose community is
currently experiencing a suicide crisis. This comes after a formal invitation
for a meeting by Chief Shisheesh (see story below).
Attawapiskat Chief implores Trudeau for meeting, cites 9 more
suicide attempts this week – CBC
May 5, 2016
Chief Shisheesh of Attawapiskat, a northern First Nations community facing a
suicide crisis, has asked Prime Minister Trudeau for a meeting. Chief Shisheesh
asks Trudeau as Minister of Youth, as well as the Minister of Indigenous
Affairs and the Minister of Health to come together for a discussion of the
tragic situation in Attawapiskat.
What if some suicide bombers are just suicidal? – The
Atlantic
May 5, 2016
This story suggests that one of the Paris suicide bombers – a man who detonated
his bomb in the presence of others who didn’t kill anyone but himself – was
actually suicidal and had no other ulterior motive. According to a study done
by Adam Lankford, which looked at a sample of 75 suicide terrorists, “who may
have exhibited … classic suicidal traits… there are many reasons to think
that both event-based and psychological risk factors for suicide may drive the
behavior of suicide terrorists.”
Survivors, leaders gather for suicide prevention summit in
Iqaluit – CBC
May 4, 2016
The Atausiuqatigiingniq Innuusirmi Stakeholder Summit for Suicide
Prevention is bringing together community leaders and suicide
survivors with the intention of developing a long-term suicide prevention plan
for Nunavut.
More suicide attempts as emergency continues in Attawapiskat
– Ottawa Citizen
May 4, 2016
Attawapiskat is still in the throes of a suicide crisis, as Wednesday, May 4 it
was announced that 9 more youth had attempted suicide. This announcement comes
just one week before the Ontario’s Emergency Medical Assistance Team is set to
leave. Territorial organization Nishnawbe Aski Nation has agreed to extend the
stay of the psychologist they flew in to deal with the crisis.
Alberta’s mental health system slowly improving, but challenges
remain: Hull Services – Metro
May 4, 2016
Hull Services, a social service organization within the province of Alberta, is
optimistic about the attention that mental health has been getting in the
province, and hopes that the recommendations made by the Mental Health Review will be implemented.
Military jail safeguards failed to prevent soldier’s suicide,
inquiry hears – Globe and Mail
May 2, 2016
Cpl. Shaun Collins died by suicide after being jailed in a military cell in
Edmonton. Collins had a history of two previous attempts. In an inquiry ordered
by the Alberta Justice Minister, it was found that the many safeguards to
protect jailed people from suicide in the cell had failed him.
Mental Health Week: Hope, Help and Healing Suicide Prevention,
Intervention and Postvention Toolkit – First Nations Health
Authority
May 2, 2016
In honour of Mental Health Week, the First Nations Health Authority, in
partnership with the Government of British Columbia Ministry of Health, has
released a "planning toolkit for First Nations and Aboriginal communities
to prevent and respond to suicide.”