Resources: Suicide News

Why focus on Preventing Suicide Globally?

Suicide is a serious global public health problem. More than 800,000 people worldwide die from suicide every year. For each suicide there are many more people who attempt suicide every year. Suicides are preventable. Multiple sectors, including health, education, labor, agriculture, business and the media have a role to play in suicide prevention.
 
Recent reports from the UK note that there were  6,188 recorded in the U.K. in 2015, an average of almost 17 a day, or two every three hours. In the U.K., suicide is the leading cause of death among women under 35 and men under 50. The World Health Organization estimates that 788,000 people died by suicide globally in 2015. Somewhere in the world, someone takes their life every 40 seconds. And despite advances in science and a growing political and popular focus on mental health, recorded suicides in the U.K. have declined only slightly over the past few decades, from 14.7 per 100,000 people 36 years ago to 10.9 in 2015.
 
The Center for Disease Control (Washington, DC, USA) is a resource of much information on Suicide not only in the USA, but also globally.
 
The World Health Organization has an up-to-date resource in multiple languages: Arabic, English, Finnish, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish  This link brings you to the latest information by country - note: the highest mortality rate from Suicide is the European region.
 
Read More:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)61213-7/fulltext  Lancet article on School-based suicide prevention programmes: the SEYLE cluster-randomised, controlled trial
http://nyti.ms/212FMnr    New York Times on suicides
 
Euthanasia in India:

In the news

January 2020:  New England Journal of Medicine research paper on risk factors across the lifespan, suicide assessment tools and interventions.
 
January 2020: Canadian north - Mental Health in Nunavut in the coming year.
 
January 2020: 2019 updated data on US teen mental health
 
March 2019:  International Association for Suicide Prevention
This edition of their newsletter recaps global efforts to reduce suicide in many parts of the world.
 
July 2018: Youth Mental Health Problems and Suicides Rising in the UK

The number of suicides among young people in London more than doubled in the three years up to 2016, according to research by the Brent Centre for Young People.

Twenty-nine Londoners between the ages of ten and 19 years took their own lives in 2015-16, compared to 14 in 2013-14—an increase of 107%.  This increase is more than four times the national rate. The number of youth suicide deaths in England and Wales rose by 24% in the same period, from 148 to 184.  https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/07/12/ment-j12.html 

 
June 2018: Why is suicide on the rise in the US – but falling in most of Europe?
In 2015, 44,193 Americans died by their own hand.  However, suicide rates in other developed nations have generally fallen. According to the World Health Organization, suicide rates fell in 12 of 13 Western European between 2000 and 2012. Generally, this drop was 20 percent or more. For example, in Austria the suicide rate dropped from 16.4 to 11.5, or a decline of 29.7 percent.  https://theconversation.com/why-is-suicide-on-the-rise-in-the-us-but-falling-in-most-of-europe-98366
 
June 2018:  CDC 25% Rise in Suicides in US 1999-2016

Rates of suicide rose by about 25% in the U.S. from 1999 to 2016, according to a new report from the CDC.  Additionally, over half of states saw an increase of over 30% over the past two decades -- accounting for around 45,000 deaths in 2016 alone -- according to a "Vital Signs" report.

August 2017: MerseyCare Trust in the UK has solid plans toward Zero Suicide by 2020
Suicide is the number one killer of men under-50 in England and Wales. A 'zero suicide' approach to prevention first devised in Detroit is now changing attitudes to care in the UK. Merseyside is leading the way. Radio 4 gains exclusive access to a healthcare authority being transformed from the inside-out in a bid to treat suicide as a preventable condition and to bring lives lost down to 0% by 2020.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b091v0tk#play
 
May 2017:  NIMH-Emergency Departments Could Play Significant Role in Reducing Suicide Attempts
 
March 2017: Facebook Takes Step to Prevent Suicides on Live
 
November 2016:  Middle School Suicides Reach An All-Time High
 
April 2016: Prince William and Kate make suicide their top mental health focus.
 
 
Resources: Published Articles
The Role of Parents and Schools in Suicide Prevention: Interview with Maureen Underwood; January 4, 2016
 
A survey by the National Union of Students also found that over a third of students had considered self-harm and that the majority of sufferers do not seek help; by Anna Menin& Jack Higgins Varsity Saturday 19th December 2015
 
Ottawa to start regularly tracking veterans’ suicides; Globe & Mail; Friday, December 18, 2015
 
 
Suicide risks in Middle-Aged Men in the US; October 30, 2015.
 
New National strategy to prevent suicide in Ireland; IrishHealth.com; July 10, 2015
 
 
 
How to Talk to Your Kids About Suicide: Experts Share Tips for Parents
There are many conversations that parents are uncomfortable having with their kids, but talking about suicide is particularly challenging. The topic is an important one, though, given that suicide is the second leading cause of death among those ages 15-24, and the third leading cause of death among children ages 10-14 year old, according to Centers for Disease Control.
 
We know Recovery Works!
Resources exist globally in many countries and Rotary districts.   The following are not endorsed by the RAG on Mental Health Initiatives, but our Board believes you might find these websites of interest to pass on to parents, coworkers, your club and community.
 
Resources: Suicide Reporting
Resources for Reporting on Suicide
Suicide is a public health issue. Media and online coverage of suicide should be informed by using best practices. Some suicide deaths may be newsworthy. However, the way media cover suicide can influence behavior negatively by contributing to contagion, or positively by encouraging help-seeking.
Find helpful resources in a variety of languages at: http://reportingonsuicide.org/  (French, Spanish, German, Slovenian)
Suggestions for Online Media, MessageBoards, Bloggers, & Citizen Journalists
  • Bloggers, citizen journalists, and public commentators can help reduce risk of contagion with posts or links to treatment services, warning signs, and suicide hotlines.
  • Include stories of hope and recovery, information on how to overcome suicidal thinking and increase coping skills.
  • The potential for online reports, photos/videos, and stories to go viral makes it vital that online coverage of suicide follow site or industry safety recommendations.
  • Social networking sites often become memorials to the deceased and should be monitored for hurtful comments and for statements that others are considering suicide. Message board guidelines, policies, and procedures could support removal of inappropriate and/or insensitive posts.