Weekly News Roundup Feb 12-18, 2022
LGBTQ+ youth face higher risk of eating disorders, suicide, study says – The Hill
February 17, 2022
The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, released new research recently finding that, based on responses from their national US survey, 9% of LGBTQ+ young people 13 to 18 reported being diagnosed with an eating disorder, and those who were diagnosed were four times more likely than those who had not to report a recent suicide attempt. “The strong relationship observed between eating disorders and suicide risk among LGBTQ youth underscores the need to create more inclusive, non-judgmental environments in which young people can feel comfortable discussing these experiences,” said Amy Green, vice president of research for the Trevor Project. “Encouraging open, honest conversations around both eating disorders and mental health will help reduce stigma and improve suicide prevention efforts.”
Utah Parents Speak Out After Their Bullied Son, 12, Died by Suicide – People
February 17, 2022
Drayke Hardman, 12, died by suicide earlier this month. According to his parents, Samie and Andrew Hardman, Drayke had been experiencing struggles with his mental health and bullying at school. Samie and Andrew said they often asked Drayke about his mental health and whether or not he had thoughts of suicide. Drayke’s father Andrew said, “Deep down there’s something broken that this child took from my son, and it has to come from somewhere because… children aren’t naturally angry. So for him to have to attack my son to build his confidence means he was lacking something. In a sense, this bully was also a victim, and that’s where we need to find the solution is teaching our children that the world is broken, but they’re the generation that is going to fix it.” Drayke’s death has gained the attention of celebrities who are calling for an end to bullying.
Many who died by suicide may have had undiagnosed case of autism, study reveals – Study Finds
February 16, 2022
UK research into the relationship between autism and suicide analyzed 350+ coroner’s reports of those who have died by suicide and conducted interviews with family members to find that 41% of those reports showed some evidence of elevated autistic traits, suggesting undiagnosed autism. “Many adults in the UK find it very difficult to obtain an autism diagnosis and appropriate support post-diagnosis. Our study shows that undiagnosed autistic people could be at increased risk of dying by suicide. It is urgent that access to an autism diagnosis and appropriate support post diagnosis is improved. This is the top autism community priority for suicide prevention, and needs to be addressed immediately by commissioners of services and policy makers,” says lead researcher Dr. Sarah Cassidy.
What my son’s suicide taught me about my own mental health – MSNBC
February 14, 2022
Mia St. John, a boxer who has won the World Championship five times, lost son Julian, 24, to suicide in 2014. Julian died after experiencing depression and schizophrenia. After Julian’s death, both St. John and her ex-husband, Kristoff, began drinking again after 30 years without alcohol. In February 2019, Kristoff passed away and St. John has found herself on another grief journey. She says, “I have so many other mothers that I talk to who have lost children and I want them to know that you’re going to grieve – no alcohol or drug is going to change that, it’s only going to make it worse. And you’re going to grieve for the rest of your life – this is life now and you have to adjust to the new normal. But know that you can recover. There is hope after these tragedies. My life is never going to be the same again. It will be a different one, a new one.”
How to Talk About Suicide – Psychology Today
February 12, 2022
In this article, psychiatrist Gregory Scott Brown discusses the importance of talking about suicide, “There’s no evidence-based suggestion that we should avoid talking about suicide. Research has shown that inquiring about suicide can actually protect against future suicides. In my practice, I also sometimes notice that patients are reluctant to disclose suicidal ideation if I don’t explicitly ask, which should serve as a reminder that there are probably even more people in the community who may be struggling with similar thoughts but feel like they don’t have anyone to talk to,” says Brown.
In Suicide Prevention, ‘Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First!’ — Suicide assessment without adequate training contributes to failed outcomes – MedPage Today
February 11, 2022
This article laments the lack of suicide assessment training in American hospitals and discusses its importance, “Suicide assessment training with reasonable reductions in lives lost will only improve through the disciplined use of an organized and open system to exchange innovative work and become familiar with it.”