Weekly News Roundup March 15-21, 2021
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:
Yukon’s new gender-affirming care policy is most comprehensive in Canada, experts say – CBC
March 18, 2021
The Yukon has developed a new gender-affirming care policy that has expanded health-care coverage to include a more comprehensive list of surgeries and procedures and emphasized gender-affirming health care to “help align one’s body and physical presentation with one’s gender identity.” Michelle Wolsky, a nurse practitioner with Yukon’s sexual health clinic who helped with the policy’s initial consultation said that, “These procedures … will only improve mental health significantly for people when they can actually live as they feel internally,” citing a survey that found 43% of transgender people had attempted suicide in their lifetime. Learn more about how suicide can be prevented in transgender people.
The suicide crisis hiding behind India’s farmer protests – CBC
March 18, 2021
*Terminology warning – use of the word ‘commit’* Farmers in India are faced with immense financial pressure, and for decades, farmers have struggled to cope – at least 30 farmers a day in India take their own lives. In India, lethal pesticides are wide-spread, meaning that farmers have easy access to lethal means, and suicide is still illegal in the country, shrouding it in stigma and taboo. For months, India’s farmers have been protesting new legislation they believe will make their financial situation even worse.
Opinion: When depression wears a smile, even psychiatrists like me can be deceived – Guardian
March 18, 2021
This opinion article, written by Rebecca Lawrence, a psychiatrist, explores her clinical experience with “smiling depressives,” clients who may be depressed but don’t outwardly appear depressed. Lawrence says, “Beware the false reassurance of the smile. Appearance is less helpful a diagnostic tool than we have been led to believe. By the time mental ill health is outwardly obvious, it’s probably very bad indeed. The lesson, for psychiatrists and for all of us? Listen to people; hear what they say. They may be telling you something their face can’t express.”
Number of youth in hospital after suicide attempt tripled over 4-month period under COVID-19 – CBC
March 18, 2021
McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario has seen a steady increase in the amount of young people being admitted for suicide attempts since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic – the number has tripled over a four-month period compared to last year. Many of the young people being admitted say that they’ve had lack of social interaction, increased conflict at home, and have been unable to rely on friends as support. “We are all coping with multiple stressors brought on by the current pandemic,” says Dr. Paulo Pires, psychologist and clinical director of Child & Youth Mental Health Outpatient Services. “We must be attentive to the unique impact of these stressors on children and youth depending on their stage of development.” McMaster Children’s Hospital says that the following can help young people cope with the pandemic: establishing routine, exercising, eating and sleeping on a regular schedule, staying connected to loved ones, and learning a new skill or finding a new activity to enjoy.
Mom vows to fight for daughter who died by suicide in N.B. hospital psychiatric unit – CBC
March 17, 2021
*Method warning* Patty Borthwick lost her daugher Hillary Hooper, 27, to suicide, after she died while in a secure psychiatric ward in New Brunswick. Borthwick says at the time she thought her daughter, “…was safe. She’s looked after. There’s no way she can harm herself there. There’s no pills, no knives, no guns, and no doors lock.” Hooper was admitted to the psychiatric ward after multiple suicide attempts and cries for help. Borthwick remembers her daughter used to say “Treat ’em and street ’em,” of the treatment she received following a suicide attempt. Borthwick was motivated to speak up about her daughter’s experience after reading about another New Brunswick woman, Lexi Daken, 16, who died by suicide after leaving a New Brunswick emergency department.
Opinion: Assisted dying isn’t the kind of help that mentally ill people need – Globe and Mail
March 17, 2021
This opinion article was written by John Maher, psychiatrist, president of a treatment group, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Ethics in Mental Health. Prompted by the House of Commons debate that led to the approval of extending Medical Assistance in Dying to those with mental illness, Maher recalls a trip to Niagara Falls, where he, along with all the other tourists, saw a man considering suicide. “As I listened to the combined pleas of the Conservatives, NDP and Green Party… to not extend MAID to people with mental illness, I thought of Niagara Falls. The image that came to mind was the young man on the edge of life with two groups standing to either side of him. I imagined that on one side stood a Liberal MP and a Bloc Québécois MP saying to the young man that they respect his autonomous right to choose death, and that if he has been suffering a lot and has a mental illness, that is good enough for them, and they will get a doctor who can push him over the edge. On the other side stood a Conservative MP, an NDP MP and a Green MP. They told the young man that he mattered, that despite what he might be feeling right now there was hope. They said they would try to help… And in that moment they held the doctor back, who was all too ready to give a hefty push in the name of autonomy,” says Maher.
Charity group calls attention to high suicide rates in veterinarian community – CBC
March 17, 2021
Veterinarians in the US and Canada are raising awareness for the high levels of stress faced in their jobs which lead to poor mental health outcomes and thoughts of suicide. Last year, the Ontario Veterinary College released research finding that more than 25% of vets in Canada reported having suicidal thoughts in the previous 12 months. Sudbury veterinarian Darren Stinson says, “It’s not all playing with puppies and kittens every day all day long. Sometimes we have to give clients some incredibly bad news about their pet’s health. Sometimes we are active in putting that pet to sleep and ending that pet’s life and ending that relationship between that owner and that pet, and that’s incredibly hard to do.” Not One More Vet is a non-profit that has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness for the issue. In 2020, Centre for Suicide Prevention was invited by Merck Animal Health to present a suicide prevention webinar to veterinarians, available here.
5 Ways to Find Inner Strength to Survive the Suicide of a Sibling – SWAAY
March 17, 2021
In this article Therese Allison, who has been impacted by the loss of her sister, Gigi, to suicide, shares coping strategies for dealing with the loss. She encourages people who have lost someone to talk to others about their feelings, “Don’t hide your sadness from close friends and loved ones, and more importantly, don’t hide yourself, as isolation can be detrimental during the healing process. It’s important for you to have a sounding board versus bottle it all up.” Seeking professional help may also be necessary, as “the loss of a loved one to suicide is a lot to process.” Taking time for self care is vital – “It’s important for you to do things that make you smile,” says Allison. Finding a passion that boosts self-esteem also helped her work through her grief, as did finding ways to give back and make a difference.
Opinion: Suicide took my son’s life. I grieve for people like Meghan Markle, who ask for help and can’t find it. – USA Today
March 16, 2021
This article is written from the perspective of Meghan Glynn, a mother who lost her son, Declan Glynn, 18, to suicide. She reflects on the recent Oprah Winfrey interview with Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, in which Markle said she experienced thoughts of suicide as a Royal and sought help, only to be turned away. “As a mother of an 18-year-old wonderful young man who took his own life on what must have been a desperate – indeed fatal – afternoon, the experience Meghan shared has me thinking about other sweet 18-year-olds, or 39-year-olds, or 65-year-olds who watched the interview and are perhaps struggling with their own suicidal thoughts. What hope must they have? What help must they need? Reaching out, as Meghan did, is always the right step. The reaction she experienced is the wrong response. Mercifully, she and her husband persevered.”
Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors in Oncology Patients – Psychiatric Times
March 16, 2021
People living with cancer are more likely to consider suicide than the general population, and they’re also more likely to die by suicide. This especially applies to those with head and neck, lung, and pancreatic cancer. There are some factors among people living with cancer that increases the likelihood they may consider suicide including: older age, male gender, lack of social supports, hopelessness, and preexisting mood disorders. More research is needed to determine the best methods of screening, evaluating, and treating cancer patients with thoughts of suicide.