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.
Tag: Suicide
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.
Managing suicide risk in research study participants
What should researchers do if they encounter a study participant who reports suicidal thoughts?UIC College of Nursing associate professor Susan Dunn explores this question as lead author of Suicide Risk Management Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Cardiac Patients Reporting Hopelessness, a paper published in the January/February edition of Nursing Research.
The Messenger Matters in Safe Gun Storage, Suicide Prevention Education
Law enforcement and those in the military, rather than doctors and celebrities, are the most preferred messengers on firearm safety, a Rutgers study found.
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.
Handgun Ownership Associated with Firearm Suicide
Handgun ownership, not shotgun ownership, is associated with greater odds of a person having died from self-inflicted gunshot wound rather than another suicide method, according to Rutgers researcher
The Medical Minute: Parental involvement can help stem COVID-related suicide attempts in children
Doctors are seeing a surge in childhood suicides brought on by isolating conditions created by COVID-19. Parents can help by looking for red flags.
For veterans after suicide attempts, gender affects recovery needs
What care do veterans need when recovering after suicide attempts? The answer may be different for women compared to men veterans, reports a qualitative study in Medical Care, part of a special issue devoted to new research on suicide risk and prevention in women. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
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.
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on Covid-19
Coronavirus vaccines are rolling out across the country, so, what does that mean for the outlook of the pandemic?
Pandemic Fears Driving Firearm Purchases
Stress related to the coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainty of what the future holds is motivating people to purchase firearms, a trend that may be more prevalent in those who already own firearms, according to a Rutgers study.
First-of-its-kind twin study at IU finds 50 percent greater risk of suicide attempts, self-harm in sexual minority adolescents
Adolescents who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or other sexual minority are twice as likely to attempt suicide or self-harm than adolescents who identify as heterosexual, according to a new study from Indiana University.
Unmet Job Expectations Linked to a Rise in Suicide, Deaths of Despair
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, is the first to link the rise in suicide and drug-poisoning deaths among men without a college degree to declines in working-class jobs.
Suicide Risk During Pregnancy, After Childbirth on the Rise
The prevalence of suicidal thoughts and self-harm in the year before and after giving birth nearly tripled among childbearing people between 2006 and 2017, according to new research.
People Who Purchased Firearms During Pandemic More Likely to Be Suicidal
People who purchase a firearm during the pandemic are more likely to be suicidal than other firearm owners, according to a Rutgers study.
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.