Weekly News Roundup Feb 20-25, 2018
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:
Childhood cancer survivors found to be at higher risk of mental illness – CBC
February 25, 2018
80% of people who experience cancer in childhood will achieve a long-term cure, however, they are more vulnerable to long-term physical effects. A new study has shown that they are also more prone to mental health effects, most commonly anxiety, substance abuse and mood disorders. They were also 34% more likely to visit a doctor for a mental health complaint in comparison to the general population.
Twitter updates its policy on tweets that encourage self-harm and suicide – TechCrunch
February 21, 2018
Twitter has now made it possible for users to report profiles, tweets, and direct messages that encourage self-harm and suicide. It has also outlined its approach to tweets or accounts that encourage self-harm and suicide, which tries to support people who are struggling with self-harm and suicide while prohibiting the promotion of self-harming behaviours.
Federal government commits $6M for suicide prevention, home care in NWT – CBC
February 21, 2018
The federal government has allocated $2.4 million towards developing a suicide prevention and crisis support network in NWT. “This network will enhance culturally appropriate approaches to suicide prevention, provide support to communities to build a sense of hope and meaning, while also improving our ability to provide timely response to community needs in the event of a crisis,” said NWT Health Minister Glen Abernethy.
Inquiry hears of links between child abuse and suicide in Rankin Inlet – APTN
February 21, 2018
Laura MacKenzie testified to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls that Betsy Kalaserk, who died by suicide, did so after a childhood of sexual abuse. Before her death, Kalaserk dealt with her trauma through substance abuse and sexual promiscuity, “Many victims such as Betsy end up killing themselves slowly. Because child sexual abuse is a silent killer,” said MacKenzie, who is the former president of the Rankin Inlet women’s shelter that worked to bring the inquiry to the area.
Paramedics in Canada more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, study finds – Globe and Mail
February 20, 2018
A new study quantifying data from a web-based survey of more than 5,000 respondents has found that paramedics, emergency dispatchers and jail guards in Canada experience suicide ideation more frequently than previously thought, and more often than police and firefighters do. “[P]revalence of lifetime, self-reported suicide attempts among correction workers (8.1 per cent), paramedics (9.8 per cent), and call-centre operators/dispatchers (8.6 per cent) appear higher than previous estimates,” the new study says. Police officers and firefighters responding to the survey had lower averages.
‘I want to see a change’: How Fort Simpson is fighting suicide in the community – CBC
February 20, 2018
Fort Simpson, NWT, a small village of just over 1,200 people, experienced four high school student suicides last year in just four months. Now, students of that high school are going to Vancouver for a suicide-prevention conference. “I want to see a change,” said Zaida Sanguez, 16, who is attending the conference. “I want to learn to actually help people and talk to them and help them through whatever they’re going through.”