Weekly News Roundup June 27 – July 3
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:
Community-based care can reduce
the stigma of mental illness
– NPR
July 2, 2016
Throughout history, the way
society treats people with mental health concerns has changed significantly.
Through this brief historical account, it is found that “people with
mental disorders are more likely to be stigmatized owing to fear and
misunderstanding when they aren’t part of the community” and that stigma
can create a barrier for getting help.
US teen who encouraged boyfriend
to commit suicide can face trial for manslaughter, court rules – National Post
July 1, 2016
Michelle Carter, who sent
texts to late boyfriend Conrad Roy III encouraging him to kill himself, will be
charged with manslaughter before the Supreme Judicial Court. This decision
comes after the court found that Carter’s “instruction to ‘get back in’
his truck in the final moments of his life was a ‘direct, causal link’ to his
death.”
Worked to death: Isolated
professions see higher suicide rates
– CBC
June 30, 2016
A newly released report by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention examined occupational rates of suicide and has found
that in the US farmers, lumberjacks, and fisherman are the top three
occupations with the highest suicide rates. Teachers, educators, and librarians
have the lowest rates. Manual labourers who work in isolation and those who
work with a threat of unsteady employment had high suicide rates.
Farmers’ survey reveals high
rates of mental health difficulties
– CBC
June 30, 2016
The Ontario Veterinary
College at the University of Guelph conducted a survey of over
1,100 farmers that exposed high rates of stress, anxiety, depression,
burnout, and resilience among that demographic.
Victimization of Aboriginal
people in Canada, 2014
– Statistics Canada
June 28, 2016
A new report by Stats
Canada reveals that though the proportion of Aboriginal people who
have reported being a victim of violence has gone down overall, the
numbers are still quite high. Victimization and its related factors contribute
to a higher risk of suicide.
Teen Bullies And Their Victims
Both Face A Higher Risk Of Suicide
– NPR
June 28, 2016
A new report from the
American Academy of Pediatrics is urging pediatricians and family doctors to
screen their teenage patients for suicidality by looking for mood disorders,
substance abuse and bullying. The report foregrounds bullying and
cyberbullying as major risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempted
suicide, not only for the bullies but for their victims as well.
Suicide and poor housing biggest
challenges facing aboriginal youth
– Truro Daily News
June 27, 2016
Jenna Burke, an Indigenous
leader from Charlottetown and a 4th year political science student
at UPEI, says suicide is the biggest challenge facing Indigenous communities
today because it “affects the community everywhere.” She says poor housing
is also a huge problem. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Canada state that there is an estimated housing shortage on reserves
nationwide of 20,000 to 30,000 units.
Indigenous suicide rates in
Kimberley seven times higher than other Australians – Guardian
June 27, 2016
The Medical Journal of
Australia has released a report that found out of the 125 people who took their
own lives in Kimberley, Australia between 2005 and 2014, 102 identified as
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. This means that the suicide rate for the
Indigenous in Kimberley is 3 times the rate of the national Aboriginal rate and
7 times the national non-Indigenous rate. 72 of the 102 were male and 28 were
younger than 20 years old. Gerry Georgatos, a suicide prevention researcher, is
calling for a royal commission to investigate Indigenous suicide. He says it is
“the only way to get the national attention and political push needed to
address the growing crisis.”
Study says teen checkups should
include suicide risk screening
– Globe and Mail
June 27, 2016
The American Academy of Pediatrics is
recommending
that doctors ask about mood disorders, drug and alcohol use, suicidal thoughts,
bullying, sexual orientation and other risk factors when they see adolescents
for routine checkups.