Weekly news roundup Nov. 18 – 24, 2023

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:

Third of UK carers with poor mental health have thoughts of suicide, survey finds – Guardian
November 22, 2023
Data from charity Carers UK found that one third of unpaid caregivers in the UK have had thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Helen Walker, the chief executive of Carers UK, said: “Unpaid carers make an enormous contribution to society, but far too regularly feel unseen, undervalued and completely forgotten by services that are supposed to be there to support them. Not being able to take breaks from caring, being able to prioritise their own health or earn enough money to make ends meet is causing many to hit rock bottom.” The UK Department of Health and Social Care is allocating £327 million to provide short breaks and respite services for caregivers, and another £2.3 billion each year to expand and “transform” mental health services in England by March 2024 which will help unpaid caregivers access services for themselves.

One in four older transgender adults contemplated suicide in the last year – HealthDay
November 21, 2023
A new study has found that 25% of transgender people in the US aged 50 and older have thought about suicide in the year prior to when the study was conducted. Transgender people were more likely to consider suicide if they had experienced workplace issues, socioeconomic disadvantages, personal safety issues, or had interactions with professionals, or used public services. One of the study authors, Hugh Klein, PhD, said, “This study demonstrates that most older transgender individuals encounter persistent challenges in various domains of their lives, significantly increasing their risk of contemplating suicide. These challenges interact in a syndemic manner, amplifying the risk of suicidal ideation.”

The majority of US gun deaths are suicides. Here’s how to prevent them – Guardian
November 20, 2023
**Method warning** This article features an interview with Paul Nestadt, assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and suicide researcher. Nestadt talks about the importance of restricting access to lethal means, such as firearms. Nestadt says that, if someone is considering suicide and has a firearm in their home, “the gun might temporarily be stored outside the house. Firearm ranges, gun shops and police stations – lots of people will let you temporarily store a gun with them… ‘safe-storage maps’ are a great tool. If there’s a kid in the house, and there must be a gun, it really needs to be stored safely, locking it up with ammunition stored separately… (In the US), depending on your state, a family member, the police or clinicians can petition for the guns to be temporarily removed.”

All I wanted to do was live’: After years of debate, a suicide safety net for the Golden Gate Bridge is nearing completion. Survivors say it’ll give many a 2nd chance at life‘ – CNN
November 19, 2023
**Graphic method warning**
The suicide prevention barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is set to be complete in December, and in this article, people who have considered or attempted suicide at the bridge share their stories. Kevin Berthia says, “If I saw a deterrent, I would have probably been like, ‘OK, maybe this is not meant to be…’ I needed something to say no.” Golden Gate Bridge spokesperson Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz says, “The net is a symbol of hope and care for people who may be experiencing the worst day of their lives. It is a large, visible and permanent symbol that there are people in the community that care about you. And, if necessary, offer people a second chance.”

Woman Becomes Firefighter for Department That Saved Her During 2016 Suicide Attempt: ‘There’s Always Help’ – People
November 19, 2023
**Graphic method warning** Tenley Gillett attempted suicide in 2016, and was saved by her local fire department in Manchester. She has since joined the fire department and is sharing her story of resilience to inspire others. “[I was] just struggling a lot with where I belong — where I should fit in — and that was something I had struggled with my entire life,” says Gillett. Manchester Fire Chief Ryan Cashin says, “I couldn’t be more proud of Tenley. She has worked so hard to get where she is. She is truly an inspiration. The most basic job of a firefighter is to help people. Tenley is the perfect example of that, helping people on and off duty. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”