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Announcements

  • American Association of Suicidology (AAS) issues call for papers for the 46th Annual Conference

    Challenging Our Assumptions and Moving Forward Together is the theme of the AAS conference to be held in Austin Texas, April 24-27, 2013 and papers related to the conference theme will be given priority. Abstracts will be accepted for five types of conference presentation formats: preconference workshops, individual paper presentations, poster presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2012.

    For more information

  • Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) invites applications for a pre-conference research training day at 2013 American Association of Suicidology conference.

    Applications from students and research fellows are being accepted for the newly established pre-conference Research Training Day. The purpose of the training day is to provide those with an interest in developing their skills as military/veteran suicide researchers with intensive training to move a specific relevant project that they are currently working on forward. The core features of the Research Training Day Workshop include a) a didactic session including a presentation on grant writing, grants mechanisms, data analysis, and research ethics; b) small group meetings of mentors and fellows to discuss fellows’ grant applications, research papers, and career issues; c) and a luncheon. A $1,000 stipend will be provided to cover travel expenses, registration fees for the workshop, and accommodations. Up to ten awards will be presented. Deadline for applications is January 14, 2012.

    For more information

  • The University of Kentucky (UK) invites survivors to participate in study of support services

    The UK College of Social Work is seeking volunteers to participate in an online study of suicide survivors’ experiences with individual counseling or therapy services following their loss. The purpose of the study is to understand the experiences of survivors of suicide loss in general; what makes individual counseling a positive and helpful process for some but not for others; and ways in which individual counseling impacts survivors’ grief experiences. Volunteers will be asked questions about themselves, the person they lost, and their experiences and perceptions of individual counseling that they received after their loss.


    For more information

Research

  • Responsible Reporting Guidelines

    Involving journalists in developing guidelines for responsible reporting of suicide can produce a “buy-in” that encourages more responsible reporting, which in turn can result in a decline in imitative (sometimes called ‘copycat’) suicides. According to the authors of an international review of the research literature on media guidelines, the participation of journalists also helps make sure that the guidelines, as well as training programs and dissemination activities, respond to the professional responsibilities and constraints of media professionals and the culture of their audiences.

    This review also revealed the importance of actively disseminating guidelines, especially using methods that “encourage journalists to explore the issues in a practical and self-directed way, enabling journalists to come to their own conclusions about how to report suicide.” The authors also stressed the importance of “refresher” activities to combat the tendency of the media to revert to more sensational – and less responsible – reporting over the long-run.

    Involving representatives of the media in developing guidelines, as well as actively disseminating guidelines, will help change the current situation in which most reporters are either unaware of responsible reporting guidelines or fail to follow them.

    The authors stressed that more research is needed on both the effectiveness of media guidelines as well as on how to promote their use. They also recommended that the media should be encouraged to take an active role in suicide prevention by educating the public and promoting help-seeking, and that guidelines be created for social media and other new communication technologies.

    Bohanna I. and Wang X. (2012). Media Guidelines for the Responsible Reporting of Suicide. A Review of Effectiveness. Crisis. 33(4), 1-9.

    SPRC Resource

    SPRC collaborated with a large number of other organizations to produce Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide, a brief guide to the “do’s” and “don’ts” of responsible reporting. This resource was developed by leading experts in suicide prevention and in collaboration with several international suicide prevention and public health organizations, schools of journalism, media organizations and key journalists as well as Internet safety experts.

    Bohanna I. and Wang X. (2012). Media Guidelines for the Responsible Reporting of Suicide. A Review of Effectiveness. Crisis. 33(4), 1-9.

News

National News

  • Depression Rates Rise for Girls During Teen Years

    According to a new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report, Data Spotlight: Depression Triples between the Ages of 12 and 15 among Adolescent Girls, about 5 percent of 12-year-old girls experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, compared with 15 percent of 15-year-old girls, a threefold increase. The report also found that girls aged 12 to 17 were at triple the risk of experiencing a major depressive episode when compared to boys (12 percent vs. 4.5 percent). 1 This information "is important for both prevention and treatment," said Richard McKeon, chief of the suicide prevention at SAMHSA.

    Aug 6, 2012

    HealthDay

    Read Data Spotlight: Depression Triples between the Ages of 12 and 15 among Adolescent Girls, based on combined data from the 2008 to 2010 SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

State News

  • Study: Young Alaska Native men at high risk for suicide

    Young Alaska Native men between the ages of 20 and 29 have a suicide rate more than 13 times the overall national average according to a new study by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Suicide rates for Alaska Native men were three times the rate for Alaska Native women. Those living in remote and small villages appeared particularly vulnerable, with suicide rates in remote villages more than twice those in larger rural hub communities. "That was eye-opening," said Deborah Hull-Jilly, a public-health specialist with the department's Alaska Section of Epidemiology, adding that follow-up studies with data from more recent years were planned.

    Aug 3, 2012

    Reuters


    Read  Characteristics of Suicide Among Alaska Native and Alaska non-Native People, 2003–2008

Tribal News

  • Watch Native Cry Outreach Alliance’s Gripping PSA for Natives Contemplating Suicide

    Native Cry Outreach Alliance, an organization dedicated to suicide prevention within the Native American community, released a new public service announcement (PSA) aimed at Native Americans who are considering taking their own lives. The video features “real people who have lost loved ones to suicide, comments from professionals and educators hoping to reverse the high rates of suicide within Native communities, and an overall message of support.” Located in downtown Yuma, Arizona, the Native Cry Outreach Alliance will primarily serve the Quechan and Cocopah and expects to be fully operational by September 10 of this year, World Suicide Prevention Day.

    Aug 7, 2012

    Indian Country

    Watch the PSA and visit the Native Cry Outreach Alliance website

International News

  • Building workers a high suicide risk

    Australia

    What started four years ago as a good idea among Queensland construction workers to tackle very high rates of suicide in the industry, is now becoming a model for suicide prevention across Australia. The program, Mates in Construction, will be rolled out across major building sites in Western Australia. Federal Mental Health Minister Mark Butler said funding from the Federal Government's $132 million Taking Action to Tackle Suicide package will triple the capacity of the existing program in Western Australia. Mates in Construction chief executive Jorgen Gullestrup said the program had shown remarkable results. "Getting men to seek help on mental health issues is notoriously difficult, but the Mates in Construction program seems to have cracked this chestnut for the construction industry," said Gullestrup.

    Aug 3, 2012

    The West Australian

     Visit the Mates in Construction website to learn more