Weekly News Roundup Apr 9 – 15, 2018
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:
Former NHL goalie shares struggles with mental illness, addiction – CBC
April 14, 2018
Clint Malarchuk, former NHL goalie, has experienced physical and mental trauma, not the least of which included when the skate of another player from an opposing team severed his jugular vein during a hockey game. “That was the beginning of a real spiral downward because of trauma, which now they call PTSD,” said Malarchuk, who attempted suicide after the incident and struggling with depression. Now, as an advocate, he shares his journey of recovery, which included learning to cope with addiction and mental illness in healthy ways.
Why are the people who choose to save lives ending their own in record numbers? – CBC Docs
April 13, 2018
This documentary follows first responders in their daily work and looks at why they have a heightened risk of suicide. Frequent exposure to trauma and life-and-death situations are one reason. To find out more about first responders and suicide, check out our toolkit on the subject.
Alberta government developing suicide prevention comic books for Indigenous youth – Global
April 13, 2018
The Government of Alberta’s Children’s Services Ministry is working with the Healthy Aboriginal Network to develop two comic books for youth suicide prevention – one for First Nations youth and the other for Metis youth. “The books… will be used to inform the development of Indigenous youth suicide prevention activities – as a tangible tool for communities to use, as well as a way to engage with youth in the development of these resources,” Zoe Cooper, from Children’s Services said.
Religious faith linked to suicidal behaviour in LGBQ adults – Reuters
April 13, 2018
In the general population, religion has been found to reduce suicide risk, however, in LGBQ populations, a recent study has found that greater religious feeling and engagement was linked to an increased risk of suicide. “Some sexual minority folks are really at odds. They feel very confused or they feel that they are in conflict with their faith because of who they are. That’s a very scary place to be in,” said one of the study authors, John Blosnich of the Injury Control Research Center at West Virginia University in Morgantown. “We are definitely not saying that religion, period, is bad; it’s not,” he added. “There are many sexual minority people who find great strength and great sources of support in their religious communities, but unfortunately we hear many stories about people who do not.”
Why aren’t we talking about suicide when we can talk about gun violence? – SELF
April 13, 2018
This article, published in the American magazine SELF, argues that the high suicide rates in the US should garner the same amount of attention as mass shootings. “Mass shootings capture the national news cycle and shake the entire country’s consciousness to its core. Firearm suicides rarely, if ever, provoke the same reaction. And yet, firearm suicides claim far more lives per year than mass shootings ever do.”
Manitoba judge urges changes to care system after Indigenous teen’s suicide death – Globe and Mail
April 11, 2018
After completing an inquest into the suicide death of a 16-year-old Indigenous girl who spent most of her life in government care, Manitoba provincial court Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta is calling for a review of government services. “It is difficult to make a detailed recommendation but equally tough to ignore the opportunity this inquest offers to draw attention to the need for adequate safe and secure foster placement options for high-risk youth in crisis,” Justice Hewitt-Michta wrote in her 72-page report.