Weekly News Roundup Apr. 20-26, 2024

Subscribe to receive the weekly news roundup straight to your inbox!

1st Cyberbullying Awareness Day on P.E.I. honours youth who died by suicide – CBC
April 25, 2024
PEI’s first Cyberbullying Awareness Day took place on April 25, marking the one-year anniversary of the death of Harry Burke, 17, who died by suicide after experiencing sextortion. The day raises awareness for cyberbullying, including sextortion. PEI MLA Robin Croucher said, “We need to bring the spotlight to [cyberbullying] so that we can hopefully prevent this from happening in the future… If what we’re doing here and this day helps one family from not having to endure this, it will have been so worth it.” Charlottetown Police Service runs programs focused on online safety and cyberbullying, teaching students that help is available, and how they can seek help if they need it. PEI is also developing a provincial cyberbullying prevention strategy.

Sask. Youth Advocate raises alarm about increase in suicide attempts in care system: report –  Global News
April 25, 2024
The Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth released their 2023 annual report last week. The report notes that there was an increase in suicide attempts and ideation among young people in care in the province. “Mental health, particularly anxiety and depression, that young people face, is also something we continue to note,” said Lisa Broda, Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth. “One of the biggest things that we’re noting particularly…is suicide attempts and death by suicide.” 14 recommendations are included in the report, for example, Broda says, “Having counsellors in schools, increasing outreach and just working together to deal with the gaps in services.”

CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate – CTV News
April 25, 2024
Research is being done to explore whether veterans in Canada are experiencing CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a disorder found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their deaths. The psychiatric symptoms that often accompany CTE can develop into suicidal thoughts, however, it is not yet understood how impacted veterans are by CTE. Veterans are at an increased risk for suicide, and Veteran Brendan Hynes, who served for nearly 30 years, says he experienced suicidal thoughts. “That institutional abandonment that our soldiers and veterans suffer, I say that’s one of the greatest factors we see in the epidemic that is veteran suicides,” says Hynes. He says the love and support of his wife and daughters helped him overcome suicidal ideation.

Language that could be clues to suicide differ between men and women – UCLA Today
April 24, 2024
A new study of public records in the US has found that women who died by suicide were more likely than men to have received treatment for mental health or substance use, and words related to mood, psychological state, or treatment were more likely to appear in their records. Men who died by suicide were more likely to have words related to job loss, alcohol use, financial stress, and unusual behaviour on their records. “Many studies have shown that men are less often diagnosed with or treated for depression and other mental health issues so it’s not surprising we see fewer of those kinds of terms in the records,” said study co-author Vickie Mays. “What we’ve done is uncover a language of suicide that can help health care workers and others catch more men before they go through with it.”

Detoxifying masculinity: How men’s groups reshape attitudes– The Conversation
April 24, 2024
Men are less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues, due in large part to “constrictive social norms and views of masculinity.” Men’s groups have created an environment where men can be transparent and discuss with other men the challenges they face. They also “provide a social learning context to be authentic and develop their emotional processing skills in a safe container free from the risk of ostracization.” The authors of this article found in their research that men’s groups can help men develop new attitudes about masculinity and adaptive ways to process challenges. The authors say, “For men looking for ways to bolster their mental health… Men learn from other men ahead of them. Find a coach or (join) a men’s group to learn new ways of relating and witnessing first-hand what happens when your fears of rejection do not come to fruition. In the absence of a role model, educate yourself on new approaches and behaviours to support the full spectrum of being human. Lastly, normalize sharing emotions. The next time someone courageously discloses that they’re struggling, instead of changing the subject, ask them to tell you more.”

We Have to Care: A Perspective on Suicide Prevention – Psychology Today
April 24, 2024
This article discusses how best to serve clients with suicidal thoughts in a clinical setting, and focuses on a compassionate approach. The author, Jennifer Gerlach, a psychotherapist, says, “I have promised myself that I will do what I can to show people genuine acknowledgment within my clinical work and in my relationships. To be there. This is something we can all do and something we all need. Sometimes, the best way to help the person is to change the system. We have to do that. We have to care.” 

Black Adolescent Suicide Rate Reveals Urgent Need to Address Mental Health Care Barriers – Pew Charitable Trusts
April 22, 2024
The most recent data from the US shows an increase in the suicide rate of Black youth ages 10-19, which has now surpassed the rate of white youth. According to a report shared with Congress in 2019, three strategies would help address the suicide rate of Black youth, including ensuring suicide care providers are culturally competent, implementing suicide risk screening tools and interventions, and conducting more research to improve the understanding of risk factors for Black youth. Since the release of the report, more research funds are being allocated to the issue of Black youth suicide. Report author Dr. Michael Lindsey says, “I am heartened by the fact that since our report, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is allocating more research dollars to address the issue. Other advocacy organizations are stepping up to the plate with attention and resources as well.” With NIMH funding, Lindsey is leading a study to assess how culturally adapted screening tools and prevention interventions can more effectively connect Black youth to appropriate treatment for suicidality.

Language matters in preventing suicide – The Conversation
April 21, 2024
This article talks about the importance using non-stigmatizing, neutral language when discussing suicide and responsible media reporting. The authors say, “Though there is some distance to go, society’s approach to mental health is moving in (the right) direction. We look forward to the day when the mythology and stigma around discussing mental illness, especially suicide, are gone and when suicide reporting in the media is balanced and respectful of its own impact.”