Weekly News Roundup September 24 – 30, 2022
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Disappearing men: Why are we losing so many to suicide? – Globe and Mail
September 30, 2022
An editorial by former Progressive Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and suicide researcher Robert Whitley. They point out the alarming numbers of individuals we lose to suicide every year and the fact that 75% of these are men. They stress that more targeted support programs for vulnerable men should be created and more supports should be forthcoming for those groups already working with men at risk.
U.S. suicide rate rose 4% in 2021 after a two-year decline – Time
September 30, 2022
The National Center for Health Statistics in the United States released provisional data indicating that suicide increased by 4% in 2021 in that country. This comes after two consecutive years of decline. The largest increase, 8%, was among young men aged 15-24.
1 in 4 Ontario farmers contemplated suicide in past 12 months: study – CTV News
September 29, 2022
1 in 4 farmers found life was not worth living at some point in the previous 12 months, according to a study authored by Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton from the University of Guelph. The mental health plight of farmers helped spur the creation of Agriculture Wellness Ontario (a partnership between the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Mental Health Association) which offer mental health programs designed specifically for Ontario farmers.
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder – The Conversation
September 27, 2022
This is a communication from University of Calgary researchers detailing their investigations into the associations between Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and suicidal behaviours. They note that people with FASD “experience a range of vulnerabilities both from the impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain and body, and from the adverse life experiences commonly associated with this disability.” They add that September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month and that awareness of this link between FASD and suicide is crucial.
Coroner’s inquest to be held into suicide of Quebec woman with Lyme disease – CTV News
September 27, 2022
Quebec’s chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into the suicidal death of Amelie Champagne. Champagne, 22, was suffering form Lyme disease. Her father says the effects of the disease and the inability of the hospital system to care for her ultimately led to her decision to end her life.
‘Your story does not end here’: inquest begins in death of Indigenous teen Devon Freeman – CBC News
September 27, 2022
An inquest into the death of an Indigenous male youth, Devon Freeman, has begun in Hamilton. Freeman was 16 when he died and the inquest will explore the “circumstances surrounding his death, and systemic issues that contributed to it, including public policy and legal issues related to Indigenous children and youth in the child-welfare system.”
After One Woman’s Campaign, D.C. Will Now Assess All Bridges For Suicide Barriers – WAMU 88.5 American University Radio (National Public Radio)
September 26, 2022
The D.C. Department of Transportation in Washington has decided to assess every bridge in the city to determine whether safety barriers are needed. This is a result of a public campaign launched by Dr. Chelsea Van Thof, who lost her long-term partner in April to a suicide on the William Taft Bridge (in Washington).
‘A storm is brewing’: Counsellors head to Tuktoyaktuk as mayor says town is in a mental health crisis – CBC North
September 25, 2022
The community of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. is experiencing a mental health crisis, losing four young people to suicide in the last three months (in a town of only 1, 000 people). The mayor, Erwin Elias, is working on both short-term and long-term plans with the Northwest Territories Department of Health to address the crisis.