The Weekly Spark: Mar 16, 2012

Web cameras, private computer networks and other technology are linking soldiers in war zones with mental health providers as part of a suicide prevention campaign. According to the Army surgeon general, 70 percent of soldiers in Afghanistan and 89 percent of soldiers in Iraq who have been seen through the Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) program would not have otherwise received help. The new technology cuts down on the need for a patient or provider to travel in settings that can be dangerous. “What you get is a soldier who says, ‘My buddy was killed, I’m stressed out now, and I’m trying to deal with all of this,’ said Lt. Col. William Geesey, who leads the program. “The last thing they want to do is leave the support structure of their other buddies and get out on a road or on a helicopter that’s going to get shot at. The idea was how to increase access to the behavioral health providers and expand the ability of mental health services using existing technologies.”

Constable Scott Mills of Toronto has been taking an unusual policing tactic by using social media to forge relationships with at-risk youth. “If I was going to be a police officer in real life, I was going to be one online.” says Mills, who has maxed out his 5,000 friends on Facebook and has a wait list of about 300. Mills monitors his Facebook and Twitter feeds, intervening when he sees online bullying, discussion about criminal activity, or an alarming post about someone’s safety. Mills also works with David Bradley, a hall monitor at a local secondary (high) school who has over 3,000 Facebook friends, many of whom are students. Together, they engage students in online discussions about suicide prevention and other issues. While both Mills and Bradley understand concerns about adults and teens interacting online, they believe that in time, this kind of interactive online approach to suicide prevention will become the norm.