Weekly News Roundup Apr 1 – 6, 2023

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Families mourn ‘devastating’ suicide rates among Nepal’s migrant workers – The Guardian
April 6, 2023
Of the 1,000 migrant workers from Nepal who die abroad, 12% of these deaths are recorded as suicides. Separation from family, debt, abusive working conditions, loneliness, lack of social support services and loneliness are all factors that could contribute to these suicides. Many family members are unclear about the circumstances surrounding these suicides, and sometimes, the cause of death isn’t certain, either. Pawan Kumari lost husband Rajiv to suicide. Kumari says, “I can’t even think about the future because I’m still coming to terms with what has happened. I don’t know how to provide a good education for my sons. Everything depends on money.”

Province should pay legal fees from fatality inquiries into Indigenous teen suicides: judge – CBC
April 6, 2023
Justice Danielle Dalton has recommended that the Alberta government pay legal fees to Akamihk Child and Family Services Society, a small First Nations agency that appeared at the fatality inquiries into the suicide deaths of four Indigenous teenagers. Dalton wrote, “A small, impecunious First Nations children’s services agency tasked with the welfare of Indigenous children at risk left to muddle through on its own without counsel.” The recommendation comes after the agency made a court application hoping to at least receive a recommendation that the province provide funding for a lawyer to represent them. Dalton said that the process was complex and that it would have been “very difficult” for them to navigate the inquiries without a lawyer. The government is currently “considering the judge’s recommendation.”

How reframing mass shootings as suicide could help prevent them – MPR, All Things Considered
April 6, 2023
James Densley, co-founder of The Violence Project, an American non-profit research centre, and co-author of the book ‘How to stop a mass shooting epidemic,’ believes that if mass shootings were framed as ‘deaths of despair,’ this might help us understand the motive behind them and prevent them. Densley says, “Deaths of despair are usually defined as deaths caused by suicide, drug overdose and alcohol poisoning. They are driven by an underlying despair, and I think that’s what those deaths have in common with mass shootings… Many mass shooters are suicidal prior to going into those attacks… They want the world to see the pain that they are enduring. And so if we can understand the despair that drives them, we can hopefully do something to prevent tragedies from occurring.” 

Religious Identity May Impact Suicide Risk – Psychology Today
April 6, 2023
A recent study sought to explore the relationship between suicide and religion, and found that religious people were less likely to experience suicidality than non-religious people, a finding in-line with previous studies done on the subject. It was also found, unexpectedly by the researchers, that both religious and non-religious people didn’t differ in the amount of fear of death they experienced – which was considered as, according to Thomas Joiner’s Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior, a diminished fear of death is one factor that can contribute to whether or not a person will die by suicide. Finally, they also found non-religious people with a higher fear of death were less likely to have thoughts of suicide. The authors say, “Our findings suggest that religious identity is important to consider when treating suicidal patients. The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior holds that fearlessness about death predicts increased suicidality, but this was not true for religious patients. It seems that the risk factor of the fearlessness of death is not a risk factor for religious patients. Identity-related factors, such as religious identity, may need to be incorporated into theories of suicide, as well as assessment and treatments. This means we may need to change our treatments to match people’s identities if they are going to be most effective… gaining a better understanding of how religion impacts patients’ experiences is critical to providing effective care.”

Dads talk grief after losing sons to Humboldt Broncos crash, suicide – Edmonton Journal 
April 4, 2023
Kyle Dubé lost son Luke, 16, to suicide in 2021. He opened up about his experiences with grief and loss on a podcast alongside Chris Joseph who lost his son in the Humboldt collision. “We’re not ashamed of Luke — we’re not ashamed of what he did — and maybe if we put this out there, it’ll get people talking to their kids about suicide, because that is so important,” Dubé said. “Luke suffered in silence. There was a darkness we didn’t understand, and we hope that his story can change some people’s lives, maybe make them talk about suicide more or even just be a light for somebody in your life.” The Dubé family has begun a public awareness campaign for suicide prevention, ‘Be a light for Luke.’