Weekly News Roundup – Oct 2 – 9, 2017
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:
Family of Attawapiskat teen who killed herself calls for coroner’s inquest – CBC
October 9, 2017
Sheridan Hookimaw, 13, died by suicide two years ago in the northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat. Now, her family is calling for a coroner’s inquest into her death. Hookimaw’s death was the first of many to take place in the community and her family says they are still unsure what led to her suicide. “An inquiry could help prevent more deaths,” said Stephanie Hookimaw, Sheridan’s mother. “Sheridan’s tragic death should not be in vain. We want to see changes in the institutions that are supposed to nourish, protect and care for our children.”
Youth mental health ‘must be given greater priority,’ Kwanlin Dun chief – CBC
October 8, 2017
The Mental Health Wellness Summit took place in Whitehorse, Yukon this past week. The aim of the summit was to talk about mental health in the territory. Kwanlin Dun First Nation Chief Doris Bill spoke about a recent youth suicide that took place in a Yukon community. Chief Bill argued that youth mental health needs to be given a greater priority: “We must find a way to involve and engage our young people. They must feel included, valued and important. We must encourage them, hold them up and show them there is light at the end of the tunnel and that there are better ways to cope,” she said.
Depression has many moods and faces – Popsugar
October 7, 2017
Blogger Mandana Ansari talks about her reaction to a video posted by Talinda Bennington, wife of Chester Bennington who died by suicide in July. Talinda shared a video taken of Chester just 36 hours before his suicide, showing him joking around and laughing, with the caption “This is what depression looked like to us just 36 hrs b4 his death…” Ansari said she felt compelled to write about the post because she related to the video, having lost a friend to suicide in 2016. Ansari said that the weekend her friend died she seemed the happiest she’d been in years. “Depression and anxiety do indeed have many faces and moods. The video Talinda Bennington posted reminds us of the tragic and unfortunate death of her husband, but it also reminds me of the overwhelming grief and guilt loved ones experience after they lose a loved one,” said Ansari.
On the suicide of my friend, Kyle MacLeod – Toronto Sun
October 7, 2017
In this piece, columnist John Snobelen remembers his friend Kyle MacLeod, who died by suicide. “Kyle was the happiest person I’ve ever known… He had a unique way of making everyone in his life seem special…. Kyle’s death has filled us with grief and the agonizing regret that, while we shared his joy, we could not even detect his pain,” says Snobelen.
Canada unveils sweeping new strategy to tackle military suicide – Globe and Mail
October 5, 2017
The Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs have unveiled a joint strategy for preventing suicide in military members and veterans. Initiatives include veteran caregiver training, a new family caregiver benefit and more research initiatives. Further, the ministries will work with Statistics Canada to track not only the suicides of active-military members but also those of veterans.
Related: Liberal government to track veteran suicides as part of new prevention strategy – CBC
Related: Medically unfit for deployment? We’ll try to employ you elsewhere, says Canada’s top general – CBC
In their own words – Globe and Mail
October 5, 2017
This article is a collection of responses to the newly released Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs suicide prevention strategy from family members of soldiers or veterans who have died by suicide.
Male veterans more likely to die from suicide, says new prevention strategy developed by military and Veterans Affairs – National Post
October 5, 2017
The newly released Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs suicide prevention strategy highlighted the fact that male veterans are more likely to die by suicide than those in the general population. Most male vets who died by suicide were over 30 years of age and came from lower ranks of the military. They tended to have fewer than 10 years of service and were released from the military for medical reasons or under circumstances where they did not want to leave the Forces. To learn more about why men in the military have a higher risk of suicide, check out our toolkit on the subject.
My wife had a baby, and I started thinking about suicide. A psychiatrist’s diagnosis surprised me – Vox
October 4, 2017
A father explains his struggles with depression, and the resurgence of depression after the birth of his third child, at which time he was diagnosed with male postpartum depression. “Male postpartum depression is not widely understood. One reason is that the obvious physical and emotional toll on women both during and after pregnancy leaves little room for sympathy for ‘lazy dads’ struggling with the anxieties of new parenthood. More generally, societal norms of masculinity can frame sadness, especially in the absence of a ‘rational’ cause, as weakness.”
Older adults more likely to disclose suicidal thoughts as they age – Reuters
October 4, 2017
A recent study into the suicide deaths of older adults has found that almost 1/4 shared their suicidal thoughts with another person in the month before their death. As for the 3/4 who didn’t share their thoughts, lead study author Namkee Choi said, “Some older adults at risk of suicide may not want to disclose their suicide intent if they think family members and healthcare and social service providers may force them into inpatient treatment or dismiss their disclosure.” Choi believes that health care providers, especially primary care physicians, should routinely assess suicide risk in older adults and ask if they have access to guns or other means of suicide.
Boy’s suicide reveals flaws in BC’s youth mental health system: advocate – Vancouver Sun
October 4, 2017
A newly published report that examined the suicide death of a North Vancouver teen outside the BC Children’s Hospital has found major flaws in the way he was cared for by the system. These flaws include having been kept in an adult psychiatric ward because there were no facilities for children, the children’s ministry didn’t act quickly enough to get him into care, and the lack of residential services for youth with mental health issues meant the boy had no where to go after being in the hospital, except to return to the community.
Social media safety course in La Ronge aimed at helping prevent youth suicides – CBC
October 4, 2017
Lac La Ronge experienced 6 youth suicides last year, and they’re taking steps towards prevention. One of their strategies for the prevention of suicide is to educate mental health workers, teachers, parents and youth in social media and its potential dangers. “Many claimed (the suicides) to be associated with social media,” said Marcus Stallworth, co-founder of the company Welcome 2 Reality, which hosts the workshops. The community is hosting workshops that will teach people how to critically analyze the information they’re receiving, and in the future will potentially launch an online peer support program.
Suicide attempts, PTSD and fears: Victims of serial rapist recount impact of his crimes – CBC
October 3, 2017
One woman who was sexually assaulted by a man in St. John’s Newfoundland testified in court last week and said that the trauma the experience has left her with has led to alcohol abuse, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. To learn more about how trauma and suicide are related, read our toolkit.