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Announcements

  • Healthy People 2020 webinar highlights suicide prevention interventions in a tribal community, Thursday, May 23, 2013 12:00 – 12:45 PM ET

    In American Indian and Alaska Native communities, youth suicide rates are disproportionately higher than the national average. This latest webinar in the series, Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators?, will highlight the success of one tribe in using data-driven decisions and interventions to address youth suicide. It includes a roundtable discussion led by HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Dr. Don Wright, on the impact of this critical Leading Health Indicator topic.

    For more information

  • New Defense Department mobile app gives biofeedback.

    The National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2) designs and builds applications employing emerging technologies in support of psychological health and traumatic brain injury recovery in the military. T2 has recently developed a mobile app, BioZen, to help service members use the therapeutic benefits of biofeedback, a technique for gaining control of a person’s body processes to increase relaxation and relieve pain. It uses wireless sensors to show the user their physical level of relaxation. BioZen and other apps are available on the T2 products website.

     

    For more information

  • IASP and WHO announce theme for World Suicide Prevention Day 2013 - Stigma: A Major Barrier for Suicide Prevention

    The International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization are asking organizations to get the word out to their constituents to encourage participation in World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), September 10. This year, WSPD will focus on addressing stigma. Addressing stigma is imperative to suicide prevention. On its website, IASP will host information on activities and events being held around the world, and will offer a toolkit to help put these events together. For the first time, IASP will be hosting Cycle Around the World for WSPD. The aim of this event is to achieve a collective total of 24,901 miles, the circumference of the earth, from participants. The IASP website will be continually updated with new developments related to WSPD.

    For more information

Research

  • Insomnia and Suicidal Ideation in Older Adults

    A study of people 65-94 years of age found that insomnia was significantly associated with suicidal ideation in this age group. The relationship between insomnia and suicidal ideation was mediated by depression (that is, insomnia was not significantly associated with suicidal ideation in the absence of depressive symptoms). However, the authors suggest that insomnia may serve as a valuable indicator of suicide risk among older adults, as other research shows that older people often suffer from insomnia before they begin to exhibit symptoms of depression.

    The researchers also recommend that health care providers should (1) screen older adults for insomnia, (2) assess older adults reporting insomnia and depression for suicidal ideation, (3) be aware that older adults with insomnia are at increased risk for depression (and thus suicidal ideation), and (4) understand that other research has shown that insomnia can interfere with the treatment of depression. Nightmares were not found to be associated with suicidal ideation.

    Nadorff, M. R., Fiske, A., Sperry,J. A., Petts, R., & Gregg, J. J. (2013).Insomnia symptoms, nightmares, and suicidal ideation in older adults. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 68(2), 145-152.

News

National News

  • Most suicidal youth seen by MDs in year before death

    More than 80 percent of youth who die by suicide have had an outpatient physician visit, emergency department visit, or inpatient stay in the year prior to their death, according to new research that looked at 724 young adults and teens between the ages of 10 and 25. Young women had more outpatient physician and emergency department contact than young men did, and young women’s visits were closer to their time of death. “The role of the health care system in caring for these vulnerable youth is especially important because, given their age, many may no longer be in school and therefore, would not benefit from school-led interventions,” said lead study author Anne Rhodes.

    May 13, 2013

    Psych.com

    Read the study abstract

State News

  • Lives on the edge are part of Golden Gate beat

    Stories of suicide at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge receive a lot of attention from the press, but there’s another side to the story – a much larger number of people who have been talked out of suicide by members of the California Highway Patrol, U.S. Park Police, and bridge security officers. Anti-suicide patrols consisting of police officers on bicycles, scooters and motorcycles actively engage pedestrians on the bridge who seem to be sad or out of place. Last year, there were 86 successful interventions at the bridge, compared to 33 confirmed and three unconfirmed suicides. On May 8 of this year, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recognized the California Highway Patrol with an award for their work preventing suicides on the bridge.

    May 15, 2013

    The Sacramento Bee

  • New Jersey launches suicide prevention “hopeline”

    New Jersey launched its first suicide prevention hotline this May 1. The 24-hour NJ Hopeline is staffed by trained volunteer and professional counselors and is run by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The Hopeline took 299 calls in its first week.

    May 14, 2013

    NJ.com

International News

  • National empowerment key to reducing suicides and community distress

    Australia

    A local empowerment project focused on innovative, culturally responsive leadership and healing for Aboriginal people has been so successful that it will soon inform indigenous suicide prevention efforts across Australia. The original program, which was developed by a research term from the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) School of Indigenous Studies, was begun in response to suicides in the Kimberley region. The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing has provided funds to develop and deliver a national suicide prevention program based on the UWA program.

    May 10, 2013

    HealthCanal

Funding

  • State and Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention Grants

    Authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, this program supports states and tribes in developing and implementing statewide or tribal youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies, grounded in public/private collaboration. Such efforts must involve public/private collaboration among youth-serving institutions and agencies and should include schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, foster care systems, substance abuse and mental health programs, families and youth, and other child and youth supporting organizations.
    Deadline: June 13, 2013

    State and Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention Grants

    Show Details

    Authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, this program supports states and tribes in developing and implementing statewide or tribal youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies, grounded in public/private collaboration. Such efforts must involve public/private collaboration among youth-serving institutions and agencies and should include schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, foster care systems, substance abuse and mental health programs, families and youth, and other child and youth supporting organizations.
    Deadline: June 13, 2013


    States, Tribes, tribal organizations, nonprofits
    SAMHSA
    6 awards of up to $440,000 per year for up to 3 years, $2,642,283 total

    For more information


  • 2013 Health & Society Scholars program

    Appointments will begin in the fall of 2014. Scholars will be trained to investigate the connections among multiple determinants of health and will be expected to develop, evaluate, and disseminate knowledge, interventions, and policies that integrate and act on these determinants. Scholars must connect their research interests to substantive population health concerns.
    Deadline: September 20, 2013
    URL for more information: http://www.rwjf.org/en/grants/calls-for-proposals/2013/rwjf-health---soc...

  • Program Challenge Fund

    The Program Challenge Fund funds high-visibility, high-impact, limited series that offer a definitive take on a subject or break new ground in popular, public service media. CPB and PBS expect a successful Program Challenge Fund program to be the highlight of a given season's schedule, have the potential to generate publicity, and attract new audiences to PBS broadcast and online content.
    Deadline: August 1, 2013

    Program Challenge Fund

    Show Details

    The Program Challenge Fund funds high-visibility, high-impact, limited series that offer a definitive take on a subject or break new ground in popular, public service media. CPB and PBS expect a successful Program Challenge Fund program to be the highlight of a given season's schedule, have the potential to generate publicity, and attract new audiences to PBS broadcast and online content.
    Deadline: August 1, 2013


    Any station, person, or entity may apply.
    Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
    Not specified

     For more information