Weekly News Roundup Feb. 16-21, 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:
Child suicide is a crisis in Canada. Here’s how we can prevent it – Huffington Post
Feb. 17, 2016
Mara Grunau, the Centre for Suicide Prevention’s Executive Director, is featured in the second half of this article, explaining the tragic occurrence of child suicide, and what can be done to prevent it. The article also talks about the death of a 10-year-old girl this past December in Bearskin Lake First Nation. This is the second child suicide to take place in the area in less than two years.

Mental health review findings to be released next week, Alberta government says – Calgary Herald
Feb. 16, 2016
The Centre for Suicide Prevention had the privilege of presenting to the Mental Health Review Panel in 2015, and we are eagerly awaiting the government’s recommendations for improving mental health services in Alberta. Health Minister Hoffman said the recommendations will be released on the week of Feb. 22.
Excerpt – ‘I hold my head in my hands and weep’: What it’s like to lose a patient to suicide -Globe and Mail
Feb. 21, 2016
This moving excerpt from How Can I Help? A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist by David Goldbloom and Pier Bryden describes a psychiatrist’s first-hand experience of learning of the suicide of a client.

Sudbury, North Bay researchers study suicide rate – Sudbury Star
Feb. 20, 2016
The Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Laurentian University is conducting a survey as part of a study on suicide rate, in an attempt to understand, in particular, men’s mental health needs and access to mental health services.

Suicide prevention programs lacking due to reliance on ERs for patients in crisis – CTV W5
Feb. 19, 2016
“Cries for help” is an in-depth look at the two tragic stories of teenage girls lost to suicide who did enter into the system and did not receive the care they needed. In particular, this W5 episode examines how effecively people working in the ER deal with suicidal patients.

Ceremonies across Canada to honour soldiers who died by suicide – Globe and Mail
Feb. 19, 2016
This past Sunday candlelight ceremonies were held at Royal Canadian Legion branches in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa to remember soldiers who have died by suicide.

I have mourned 14 deaths by suicide, isn’t that enough? – Huffington Post Blog
Feb. 19, 2016
This blog, written from the perspective of a mental health advocate who has lost an alarming 14 loved ones to suicide, discusses possible reasons why suicide is still such a huge problem, including stigma, the complexity of the mental health system, and a lack of understanding of what makes people suicidal in the first place.

Study raises concerns over mental health of EPS members – CTV
Feb. 19, 2016
A report coming out of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has found that almost half of the long-term disability claims being made are for mental health reasons and are often related to depression. The report recommends that EPS review its fatigue management program.

Kids with concussions more likely to suffer from depression – CBC
Feb. 18, 2016
In a follow up to the recently released study that found adults who experience concussions have a suicide risk 3x higher than the general population, CBC’s The Current asks what this means for children who suffer concussions. The study found that out of 92 kids (7-18) who had a concussion, 22% of them were clinically depressed, which is much higher than average. It was stressed that early intervention with a child who has experienced a concussion is vital to ensure the effects on their mental health are minimal. This intervention includes ensuring the child gets the medical help they need, and also ensuring the parent is paying attention to what the child is saying about their mental state after the concussion, and getting psychological help if needed.

Calgary Transit driver goes above call of duty to help distressed woman – Metro
Feb. 18, 2016
A Calgary Transit bus driver was able to intervene with a woman who was in distress and walking on Ctrain tracks with a train fast approaching. Calgary Transit partnered with the Centre for Suicide Prevention, LivingWorks Education and Distress Centre Calgary to provide suicide prevention training to their employees last year.

Ontario plans quicker approval for PTSD claims by first responders – CBC
Feb. 18, 2016
Labour Minister Kevin Flynn gave more information regarding the proposed legislation that would increase access to mental health treatment for first responders suffering from PTSD. Minister Flynn said that the new law would identify PTSD as a result of employment and that claims would be automatically approved.

Facebook adds new suicide prevention tool in the UK – BBC
Feb. 18, 2016
In partnership with the Samaritans, Facebook has launched a tool that allows people to flag posts that they believe may indicate suicidality. The flags are sent to a team of people who review posts 24/7, and help options are sent to those who posted the flagged content. The tool is now available in the UK, US, and Australia.

Senator concerned about mental health and assisted-death legislation – Metro
Feb. 18, 2016
With committee recommendations regarding the physician-assisted dying (PAD) law to be released next week, Senator Denise Batters is hoping that those experiencing psychological suffering will be excluded from access to PAD. Sen. Batters lost her husband to suicide and wants to see strong safeguards enacted.

Let’s make a real difference for an entire generation of young children – Huffington Post
Feb. 17, 2016
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is writing as a guest-blogger for the Huffington Post UK this week. Her first post focused in on the mental health of children, and the importance of mentally healthy children as a means to prevent future issues.

Mental health not a taboo subject in PM’s home: Grégoire-Trudeau – Huffington Post
Feb. 17, 2016
Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau says that her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau routinely talk to their kids about their mental health, and are careful to assess their emotions to ensure they are mentally healthy. Grégoire-Trudeau has struggled with bulimia, and Margaret Trudeau has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  

Shattered hearts: Explaining suicide to children – Huffington Post
Feb. 17, 2016
Continuing as part of the same series as Kate Middleton’s blog post, called “Young Minds Matter,” this post gives advice on how to discuss suicide with children, and discusses how children may react to a suicide, including with anger, denial, fear, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Behind the scene’s of Reddit’s Suicide Watch – Science of Us
Feb. 17, 2016
Community members of Reddit, an online forum site, have created a subreddit, or sub-forum, called “Suicide Watch.” The purpose of the subreddit is to provide a place where people who are feeling suicidal can express their feelings, and other community members reply to them, sometimes doing interventions. Generally, it is seen as an overall supportive and helpful forum, as opposed to some.

National, proven solutions for suicide prevention and PTSD presented to federal government; 20% suicide prevention target deemed possible – Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC)
Feb. 16, 2016
Michael Wilson, chair of MHCC and Phil Upshall, ED of Mood Disorders Society of Canada, have asked for $5 million from the government to develop a national PTSD training program for front-line workers. The main goal of the program is to prevent suicide.

Vancouver firefighters get new mental health program – CBC
Feb. 16, 2016
The Vancouver Fire Department launched a new mental health program for employees this past Tuesday. The aim of the program, developed by the peer support leader of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services and CMHA, is to help members recognize when they or a colleague may need help coping with stress or mental unwellness.

Ronda Rousey considered suicide after loss to Holly Holm – ESPN
Feb. 16, 2016
Ronda Rousey, a former UFC champion, was interviewed on the Ellen Show last Tuesday for the first time after a major UFC loss, back in November. She opened up about how she considered suicide after losing the major fight, but how she was able to get through her “moment” of suicidality with the support of her loved ones.

After rash of teen suicides in Palo Alto, the CDC sends team to investigate – Newsweek
Feb. 16, 2016
There have been several news stories in the past addressing the issue of teen suicide in the affluent town of Palo Alto, California. In the years of 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2015, 10 young people have died by suicide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now investigating the the phenomenon.

#HockeyTalks launches to raise awareness for mental health – National Hockey League Players Association
Feb. 1 – 29, 2016
All 7 Canadian NHL teams and their players will be talking openly about mental health as part of the #HockeyTalks campaign. The campaign, started by the Vancouver Canucks, features tweets and videos of players engaging in mental health discussions. Each team will dedicate a home game to “Hockey Talks,” where open mental health conversations will be encouraged.