Weekly News Roundup Nov. 4-9, 2023

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Inquest jury makes recommendations after teen denied help at Fredericton hospital – CBC
November 8, 2023
Lexi Daken, 16, died by suicide days after being turned away from hospital in Fredericton, New Brunswick. A coroner’s jury has made 10 recommendations that could help prevent similar deaths. Recommendations include: increasing awareness and educating youth and the public about what mental health services are available; hopsital should improve communication with patients…; community mental health services should specify the next follow-up appointment with date and time; and additional resources should be made available for community mental health services. Chris Daken, Lexi’s father, said, “It’s never really over. I still lost a child but I’m happy this process is done and some recommendations have been made and hopefully more changes can be made and we don’t have to be going through this in another two or three years for another child.”

Training Bartenders, Barbers and Divorce Attorneys as Counselors Could Reduce Gun Suicides – Scientific American
November 6, 2023
Researchers and suicide prevention advocates in the US are hoping to prevent suicide by making environments safer. Israel was able to reduce their military suicide rate by 57% after increasing mental health awareness and requiring off-duty members to leave their firearms at work. Project Safe Gaurd, a new program in the US, provides ‘neutral leaders’ such as military unit leaders, barbers, and faith leaders, with the tools to educate firearm owners about safe storage. The project is being led by Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. Anestis says, “The idea behind it is to make the environment safer so that when someone is in a difficult place, they’re less likely to have click-and-ready access to their firearms. The training involves peer-to-peer counseling where individuals such as barbers and faith leaders talk with people who may be more likely to open up to them in a moment of crisis.”

Tech and Games Can Help Curb Youth Suicide – Wired
November 7, 2023
This article explores the role of games and technology in preventing youth suicide. Rebecca Benghiat of the JED Foundation says, “We can expand the benefit and safety of online spaces and work toward a future in which positive mental health is a priority in the design and building of online experiences. At the same time, it is also essential to create communities of care—in the real world—that are purposefully inclusive and supportive, while providing protective factors for the emotional well-being of all youth.” The article goes on to talk about factors in youth suicide and other ways it can be prevented.

What the Golden Gate Is (Finally) Doing About Suicides – New York Times
November 5, 2023
**Descriptive method warning** (Paywall) The suicide barriers at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco are nearly complete after seven years of construction and 20 years of advocates pushing for the barriers. Denis Mulligan, the general manager of the organization that oversees the bridge, says, “To greatly reduce the number of people dying in the community is a worthy goal. And to achieve that is success.” Pat Madden, who lost son Jesse to suicide in 2015 says, “I am relieved. You just want to spare other people from what you’re going through.”