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:

Gisele Bündchen says she contemplated suicide at the height of her modelling careerThe Independent
September 28, 2018
Gisele Bündchen, supermodel, wrote in her new memoir that she experienced thoughts of suicide when she was at the height of her modeling career. She also discusses her experiences with claustrophobia and panic attacks. “Everything had become a cage, and I was the animal trapped inside, panting for air. I couldn’t see a way out, and I couldn’t stand another day of feeling this way,” recalls Bündchen. “The idea swept over me: Maybe it will be easier if I just jump. It will be all over. I can get out of this.”

Transgender Boys, Nonbinary Adolescents Face Highest Suicide Risk by Gender Psychiatry Advisor
September 28, 2018
A recent study has found that transgender boys face the highest risk of suicide among all adolescents. 8.6% of respondents to a survey of over 120,000 youth reported having a plan to attempt suicide, while 50.8% of transgender boys reported an attempt.

New documentary highlights youth mental health issues in SaskatchewanRegina Leader-Post
September 26, 2018
A new documentary series, produced by the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) focuses on youth mental health issues in Saskatchewan. Barrett Kuntz, who experienced anxiety and depression from an early age, is telling his story as part of the documentary. “I found myself withdrawing from friends and family. I was isolating myself,” said Kuntz. “It was lonely and it compounded the problem. I wanted to share with kids and youth that it’s OK to ask for help. It’s OK to be vulnerable.”

Head of mental health commission says suicide in Nova Scotia a ‘hidden crisis’ Chronicle Herald
September 25, 2018
Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), told members of The Chronicle Herald editorial board that suicide is a “hidden crisis” in Canada. “They happen in garages, bedrooms, forests… Of the nearly 4,000 suicides in Canada every year, the vast majority of them are preventable, which is such a sad situation.” Bradley also talked about what the MHCC is doing to prevent suicide in Canada.The MHCC offers programs like Roots of Hope, which specifically targets suicide reduction in communities. The Nova Scotia Health Authority is currently in talks with MHCC in regards to implementing Roots of Hope.

WestJet’s compassionate and confused chatbot sends happy customer to suicide prevention siteCBC
September 25, 2018
WestJet’s customer service chatbot, which can be accessed through their Facebook page, sent a suicide hotline referral to a satisfied WestJet customer after she posted a review that mentioned the word “cutting.” This word was likely what triggered the algorithm to send a compassionate response, which was “We take these comments very seriously. If you’re having these thoughts, please reach out to the Canada Association for Suicide Prevention, You can find your local hotline at https://suicideprevention.ca/. In emergency, please call 911.”Jorg Denziger, associate professor of AI and multi-agent systems at the University of Calgary said of the incident, “…there is nothing negative that I can see in this whole thing… That’s actually nice… seeing a real company that wants to sell you something doing things like that is much, much nicer than having to read about chatbots that really try to influence elections or influence all kinds of other things, which, unfortunately, is also true.”

Suicidal thoughts are more common than you might think: How workplaces can help reduce the stigma Forbes
September 25, 2018
Kelly Greenwood talks about her experience with suicidality and why it is so important for workplaces to create healthy environments for employees by reducing mental health stigma. “Both times that my typically well-managed anxiety disorder sent me into a major depression, challenges related to work were major contributors,” says Greenwood, “Employers must not only provide mental health benefits, but also build cultures that normalize what it looks like to have a mental health condition.”

Northern Ontario First Nations, federal NDP leader, renew calls for national suicide prevention strategyCBC
September 24, 2018
Following the suicide of a 13-year-old girl on Bearskin Lake First Nation, Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa are calling for the government to take action on suicide prevention. “We’ve been at this for so long now, the losses continue to happen. Families continue to suffer,” said NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler. The NAN wants “comprehensive strategy on suicide prevention,” led by the federal government working hand-in-hand with the provinces and Indigenous leaders. “All of us should be at a table to have this discussion and to work towards a plan that our communities can be a part of in developing some of these solutions.”
Related: What one child’s suicide says about Ontario’s approach to First Nations healthTVO

New guidelines for suicide reportingCBC
September 24, 2018
Dr. Marnin Heisel, Clinical Psychologist, Lawson Scientist, and Faculty Member in the Department of Psychiatry at Western University, talks about the importance of establishing media guidelines for suicide reporting. Information should be shared appropriately, otherwise, there is danger of a contagion effect.

How Do Healthcare Professionals Identify Suicide Risk in Cancer Patients?American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
September 21, 2018
A new study looking at the experiences of clinical staff working with people who have cancer found that 56% of oncologists and 55% of nurses have had at least one patient who has died by suicide in their careers, and 65-75% of patients had thoughts of suicide.