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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Death by suicide? Drug overdoses muddy waters for investigators, amplify national mental health crisis

Broadening the definition of self-inflicted mortality to encompass most drug overdose deaths, WVU emeritus professor Ian Rockett led a study finding that the entire nation is afflicted by a mental health crisis. In recent years, western states have reported more suicides but Rockett’s research revealed that many drug overdose deaths in non-western states should have been classified as suicides.

Youth with Family History of Suicide Attempts Have Worse Neurocognitive Functioning

Children and adolescents with a family history of suicide attempts have lower executive functioning, shorter attention spans, and poorer language reasoning than those without a family history, according to a new study by researchers from the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania. The study is the largest to date to examine the neurocognitive functioning of youth who have a biological relative who made a suicide attempt.

Surgeon General expects COVID-19 vaccine to be available by year’s end

In a wide-ranging talk with UCLA Health physicians, Wednesday, Oct. 28, United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, addressed the politicization of the pandemic and the means of containing the spread of COVID-19. He also offered hope that a vaccine for the virus will be available by year’s end.