An increase in “deaths of despair” in recent decades has been frequently portrayed as a phenomenon affecting white communities, but a new analysis in The Lancet shows the toll has been greater on Native Americans.
Tag: Suicide
Military Service Members Who Hide Their Suicidal Thoughts Are More Likely to Store Their Firearms Unsafely
Military service members who haven’t told anyone about their suicidal thoughts or talked with a behavioral health professional are most likely to store their firearms unsafely, according to a Rutgers study.
Restricted abortion access linked to increased suicide risk in young women
When the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision came down in June, overturning the right to abortion in the United States that Roe v. Wade had bestowed in 1973, conversations about access to reproductive care took on a renewed urgency.
New Report Details Steps to Reverse Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy
The Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a report today setting out 10 practical steps to address major causes of declining life expectancy in the U.S.
Unsecured Handguns Account for the Majority of Firearm Suicide Deaths in the United States
Rutgers study details individuals most likely to use different types of firearms in their deaths, how firearms are stored and where victims inflicted injuries upon themselves
Access to paid sick leave linked to lower mortality rate among US adult workers
Access to paid sick leave is linked to a lower rate of mortality among US working age men and women, according to new research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier.
Tips on How to Identify and Help Someone Who is Suicidal
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month National Suicide Prevention Month is dedicated to raising awareness of the causes, warning signs, and most important, treatment options available for those at risk of suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental…
Study uncovers differences in saliva bacteria of students with recent suicidal thoughts
Adding to a growing body of research on mental health and the human microbiome, a new study compared the bacteria in the saliva of students with and without recent thoughts of suicide, called suicidal ideation
Suicide prevention training for health care providers a first step in longer-term efficacy
fter Washington became the first state to require suicide prevention training for health care providers, the University of Washington worked with experts and organizations to develop the All Patients Safe program. A new study shows how All Patients Safe helped providers of all specialties learn how to identify and respond to patients at risk of suicide.

Clinical Psychologist Available to Comment on 988
Millions of Americans dial 911 each year to seek help for mental health and substance use emergencies. However, doing so may unnecessarily land them in the emergency room or the criminal justice system. Now, as Anu Raj, Psy.D., a clinical…
Machine learning identifies gun purchasers at risk of suicide
A first-of-its-kind study from the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis shows an algorithm can forecast the likelihood of firearm suicide using handgun purchasing data.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Names Ashish Buttan Vice President, Physician Partnerships
Ashish Buttan, BDS, MBA, has been promoted to Vice President, Physician Partnerships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
Study Reveals the Job Problems Contributing to Physician Suicide
UC San Diego Health study identifies the main job stressors contributing to physician suicides.
Children’s Mental Health Visits to Emergency Departments Increased During COVID-19 Pandemic
In the Chicago area, pediatric mental health Emergency Department (ED) visits increased 27 percent at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a 4 percent increase monthly through February 2021, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. The authors found increased ED visits for suicide, self-injury and disruptive behaviors, as well as higher admission rates for these children.
Fewer youth attempt suicide in states with hate crime laws
When states enact hate crime laws that protect LGBTQ populations, the rate of suicide attempts among high school students drops significantly, and not just among sexual and gender minority students, but among heterosexual students as well, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Suicidal thoughts, behaviors linked to hormone-sensitive brain disorder
A global study published in BMC Psychiatry reports that 34% of people with premenstrual dysphoric disorder have attempted suicide. The findings offer the strongest scientific evidence to date that the disorder is likely an independent contributor to suicidal thoughts and actions.
Teens with Access to Firearms Found to Be at Higher Risk for Suicide
Adolescents who had access to firearms had about 1.5 times higher odds for prior suicide attempt and current suicidal ideation, according to a study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. The study also found that one-third of adolescents coming to the Emergency Department (ED) for any reason had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and over 40 percent of this group had access to a gun. This data was collected before the pandemic, during which EDs across the country saw an overwhelming increase in mental health burden in youth.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Experts Available to Discuss Importance of Mental Well-Being
Nearly 20% of adults — about 50 million American people — are experiencing a mental illness, and about one in five children are affected by a mental disorder each year. There are many types of mental illness, including mood, anxiety and personality disorders.
Suicide Prediction Method Combines AI and Face-to-Face Screening
A new observational study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center points to solutions for efficient clinical prediction of suicide attempt or suicidal thinking in adults. Reported May 13 in JAMA Open by Drew Wilimitis, Colin Walsh, MD, MA, and colleagues, the study compares an artificial intelligence algorithm with face-to-face screening.
Pharmacists at Higher Risk of Suicide than General Population, Study Finds
UC San Diego study shows suicide rates were higher in pharmacists than in the general population between 2003 and 2018, with job problems being the most significant feature associated with the suicides.
Mental health assessments often fail to identify suicidal ideation with gun owners
More people are willing to talk about their mental health struggles, including thoughts of suicide. Now, a new study by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine aims to ensure medical professionals are asking the right questions to prevent a tragedy.
Untrained Disaster Responders Are More Prone to Suicide Years After World Trade Center Attack
Construction workers, clean-up staff and other untrained nontraditional emergency employees who assisted in recovery efforts at the World Trade Center in New York following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, are more than five times as likely than traditional first responders to have considered suicide, according to a Rutgers study. Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study is believed to be the first to examine the prevalence and connection of thoughts of suicide in two occupational groups that participated in rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Firearms kill more children than car crashes, new report finds
Gun violence in the United States has increased to the point that it now kills more children than any other cause, including car accidents, and pediatricians may not be entirely prepared.
How can we reduce the firearm death toll in older adults?
A firearm injury researcher and emergency physician provides information on firearm injuries, deaths, risk factors and attitudes among adults over 50, and gives tips for individuals and families to reduce risk of suicide and other firearm-related harm.
Suicides fall during pandemic
While suicide levels in the USA fell during the first year of the pandemic, Australian researchers warn the lower suicide rate now faces the challenge of dealing with the COVID-19 health and socio-economic gap in society.
Gay, Bisexual Men Have Lower Suicide Risk in More Tolerant Countries
Gay and bisexual men who move from a country with high stigma toward LGBTQ people to one more accepting of LGBTQ rights experience a significantly lower risk of suicide and depression, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Adolescents are using social media to post about self-injury
Researchers found that posts with hashtags related to self-injury rose from between 58,000 to 68,000 at the start of 2018 to more than 110,000 in December.
Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury: M.O.M. to the Rescue
The M.O.M. project, which will have four units in Ohio, Florida, South Carolina and Texas, will engage veterans with traumatic brain injury, their caregivers and other stakeholders to bolster patient-centered outcomes research and comparative effectiveness research in order to identify treatment options for traumatic brain injury that are effective, acceptable, and meaningful to the veteran population.
Does playing high school football lead to increased risk of suicide later in life?
Young men who play football in high school are not at increased risk of suicidal thoughts or depression in young adulthood, suggests a study in Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Long-term survivors of childhood cancer may face higher suicide risk
Survivors of childhood cancer have increased risks of experiencing various challenges, such as emotional distress, impaired quality of life, and financial burdens.
Nurses think about suicide more than other workers
Mayo Clinic researchers report that nurses in the U.S. experience suicidal ideation in greater numbers than other general workers and those who do are less likely to tell anyone about it. The findings appear in the American Journal of Nursing.
Study examines teens’ thoughts, plans around suicide
New research by the University of Washington and New York University explored gender, racial and ethnic differences among teens who think about and/or attempt suicide, as well as associated behavioral and environmental factors.

FSU expert available to comment for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
By: Bill Wellock | Published: September 9, 2021 | 9:07 am | SHARE: Suicide is a complex public health issue with far-reaching impacts. The National Alliance on Mental Illness recognizes September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to focus on the causes and treatments of this disease.Florida State University expert Dr.
Hopkins Med News Update
Hopkins Med News Update
UniSA digs deep to prevent construction worker suicides
Every year 190 Australians working in the construction industry take their own lives – that’s one worker every second day. They’re confronting statistics, but for an industry that’s often fraught with risk and uncertainty, it’s a reality that the sector is determined to change.
UCLA Investigators Approved for Study on Youth Suicide Prevention
A research team from the UCLA Youth Stress and Mood Program at UCLA’s Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior has been approved to lead a $13 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to compare two evidence-based interventions for reducing suicide attempts and improving patient outcomes for youth presenting to emergency departments.
Is reducing opioids for pain patients linked to higher rates of overdose and mental health crisis?
A UC Davis Health study published in JAMA found a 68% increase in overdose events and a doubling of mental health crises among patients who were on stable opioid therapy but saw their doses tapered.
Self-inflicted Firearm Injuries Three Times More Common in Rural Youth
A national study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that Emergency Department (ED) visits by youth for self-harm were nearly 40 percent higher in rural areas compared to urban settings. Strikingly, ED visits by youth for self-inflicted firearm injuries were three times more common in rural areas. Youth from rural areas presenting to the ED for suicidal ideation or self-harm also were more likely to need to be transferred to another hospital for care, which underscores the insufficient mental health resources in rural hospitals.
People living with HIV/AIDS have a significantly higher risk of suicide
A new study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine indicates that people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) — approximately 38 million worldwide — are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and die from suicide than members of the general population.
Alarming Rising Trends in Suicide by Firearms in Young Americans
Researchers explored suicide trends by firearms in white and black Americans ages 5 to 24 years from 1999 to 2018. From 2008 to 2018, rates of suicide by firearms quadrupled in those ages 5 to 14 years and increased by 50 percent in those ages 15 to 24 years. Suicide deaths by firearms were more prevalent in white than black Americans – a marked contrast with homicide by firearms, which are far more prevalent in black than white Americans.
Most Californians unaware of law to prevent gun violence but would support using it
A new study shows that two-thirds of Californians don’t know about a law designed to prevent a person at risk of hurting themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms or ammunition. More than 80% of survey participants were supportive once they read about this law.
ADHD Medications Associated with Reduced Risk of Suicidality in Children with Significant Behavioral Symptoms
ADHD medications may lower suicide risk in children with hyperactivity, oppositional defiance and other behavioral disorders, according to new research from the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania. The findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, address a significant knowledge gap in childhood suicide risk and could inform suicide prevention strategies at a time when suicide among children is on the rise.
Preventing suicide among a ‘hidden population’ in public housing
New research suggests that African American families living in public housing are a “hidden population” when it comes to national suicide prevention efforts.
Posts to Reddit forum “SuicideWatch” spike in the early hours of Monday morning
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that people on a social media suicide support forum are most likely to post to the site during the early hours of Monday morning.

Move the Stigma Needle of Mental Health for Children
Sarah Mallard Wakefield, M.D., pediatric psychiatrist and chair of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry offers tips on how to talk to adolescents and young adults who might be struggling with mental health.
WHO ‘needs to act’ on suicides caused by pesticides
Scientists are calling for more stringent pesticide bans to lower deaths caused by deliberately ingesting toxic agricultural chemicals, which account for one fifth of global suicides.
Firearms Laws Curb Rates of Gun Violence Across United States
States with stricter firearms laws reported lower suicide and homicide rates, according to a Rutgers study.
Epidemic of firearm injury spurs new wave of research
Now that federal funding is flowing again for research on firearm injury prevention, some of the few already-funded researchers doing work in this area react and look ahead.

Artificial Intelligence Calculates Suicide Attempt Risk
A machine learning algorithm that predicts suicide attempt recently underwent a prospective trial at the institution where it was developed, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Staying Ahead of the Curve: How Experts at Rutgers Are Addressing the Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health and Risk for Suicide
A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed the incidence of people seriously considering suicide in the prior 30 days almost doubled over the previous year. For essential workers, that figure jumps to 21.7 percent.
Anticipating the more significant impact on clinicians’ mental health, the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has been coordinating several initiatives designed to address mental and behavioral issues that could increase suicide risk.