Publications - Suicide

MIT students turn their brainpower toward suicide prevention, by Collin Binkley, Associated Press, Feb 15 2016.

“The school unveiled a sweeping plan to bolster mental health last fall, adding staff psychologists and expanding counseling hours, among other measures. But students have added their own ingenuity in recent months, starting a wave of grassroots projects intended to defuse the stress of campus life before it leads to a crisis. One group of students launched a texting hotline called Lean On Me this month, letting students chat anonymously with trained student volunteers about anything that's troubling them. Other students plan to install artificial light boxes on campus, meant to treat depression that can take hold during dreary months. By her count, sophomore Izzy Lloyd has handed out more than 4,000 specially made wristbands that say TMAYD. It's short for "tell me about your day," a message that aims to get students talking with one another. Lloyd started the project last year after two of her freshman classmates took their own lives in the same week. ”

Support, not two in cockpit, key to reducing pilot suicide risk, experts say, by Victoria Bryan, Reuters, Oct 27 2015.

“Seven months after a pilot apparently crashed an airliner into a mountainside, killing himself and 149 other people, experts said better support for pilots with mental health disorders would do more to reduce the risk of pilot suicide than requiring that two people be in the cockpit at all times. ”

Suicide-risk behaviour patterns identified - study, by BBC, BBC , Aug 30 2015.

“Depressed people who display "risky behaviour", agitation and impulsivity are at least 50% more likely to attempt suicide, a study has found. Research by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) concluded that the behaviour patterns "precede many suicide attempts". The study said effective prevention measures were "urgently needed". ”

Campus Suicide and the Pressure of Perfection, by Julie Scelfo, New York Times , Jul 27 2015.

“Nationally, the suicide rate among 15- to 24-year-olds has increased modestly but steadily since 2007: from 9.6 deaths per 100,000 to 11.1, in 2013 (the latest year available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). But a survey of college counseling centers has found that more than half their clients have severe psychological problems, an increase of 13 percent in just two years. Anxiety and depression, in that order, are now the most common mental health diagnoses among college students. ”

The Truth Behind The Suicide Statistic For Older Teen Girls, by Susan Brink, NPR , Jun 2 2015.

“For years, Suzanne Petroni, senior director at the International Center for Research on Women, would speak - backed by mountains of evidence she studies - about the number one cause of death among women around the world: maternal mortality. Then, in September, 2014, the World Health Organization released its report on "Health for the World's Adolescents: A Second Chance in the Second Decade." "I read the report, and there was one line tucked away," says Petroni. The line addressed females age 15 to 19. "The number one cause of death had changed," she says. "It was suicide." ”

Rise in Suicide by Black Children Surprises Researchers, by Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times , May 18 2015.

“The suicide rate among black children has nearly doubled since the early 1990s, while the rate for white children has declined, a new study has found, an unusual pattern that seemed to suggest something troubling was happening among some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Suicide among children ages 5 to 11, the age range the study measured, is rare, and researchers had to blend several years of data to get reliable results. The findings, which measured the period from 1993 to 2012, were so surprising that researchers waited for an additional year of data to check them. The trend did not change. ”

Suicide Prevention Campaign Approaches Men On Their Own Terms, by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR , Mar 26 2015.

“National data shows that the suicide rate for African-Americans has stayed fairly steady and significantly lower than for white Americans, though a recent study shows a suicide increase among black children. There are several diseases referred to as silent epidemics among African-Americans. Parents who have a child who died by suicide in the community, discuss how society has largely avoided a discussion of mental illness and suicide for specific reasons. ”

On-Line Intervention Reduces Suicide Risk in Veterans, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Dec 5 2014.

“A new study suggests a brief online intervention may help veterans reduce the risk of suicide. In their research, psychologist from Florida State University developed a simple computer-based approach to treating anxiety sensitivity. They believe the software may provide significant benefit for veterans and other groups who are considered at risk for suicide. ”

World Suicide Prevention Day, 2014, by John Grohol, Psych Central , Sep 10 2014.

“Every day around the world, families and friends grieve the loss of a loved one due to suicide. Not once. Not twice. But over 2,000 times per day someone takes their own life. Can you imagine? If Ebola took 2,000 people’s lives per day, we’d hear a world outcry and an immediate call to action. But since it’s just suicide, we turn a blind eye. We go on with our merry lives, and pretend it couldn’t happen to us. It couldn’t possibly happen to someone we know. ”

Mental Health Care System Is Failing At Suicide Prevention, Advocates Say, by Alana Horowitz, Huffington Post , Sep 3 2014.

“Nearly 40,000 people die from suicide in the U.S. every year -- a number that has climbed recently. CDC data show that in the first decade of the millennium, the suicide rate among U.S. adults rose 28 percent. As researchers told The New York Times last year, this figure may be even higher due to under-reporting. a pending piece of legislation in California that would mandate suicide prevention training for all licensed mental health professionals, including psychologists, social workers and even marriage counselors. Such a requirement is startlingly rare: Only two other states have laws similar to the proposed California bill, despite evidence that suggests such training can lower rates of suicide among at-risk groups. ”

Could a blood test predict suicides?, by Matthew Stucker and John Bonifield, CNN , Jul 30 2014.

“Approximately 36,000 deaths are caused by suicide each year in the United States. What if a simple blood test could one day help prevent that from happening? In a new small study, researchers were able to predict who had experienced suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide just by looking at their blood. The experimental test was over 80% accurate. ”

Study: One in 10 Juvenile Detainees Have Contemplated Suicide, by Julianne Hing, ColorLines, Jul 24 2014.

“One in 10 youth locked up in juvenile detention has experienced suicidal thoughts in the last six months, according to sobering new findings published by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The article is the latest installment in a series from the Northwestern Juvenile Project examining the mental health of youth at Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. ”

Suicide survival stories must be told, says Australian mental health chief, by Melissa Davey, The Guardian, Jul 23 2014.

“Survival stories from those who attempt suicide should drive mental health interventions but have been missing from policy discussions, Australia’s national mental health commissioner has said. Prof Ian Hickie said this omission was partly because of society’s often callous view towards suicide ”

The Ripple Effect: Invisible Impact of Suicide, by Laurie Savoie, Jul 10 2014.

Antidepressant suicide warnings 'may have backfired', by James Gallagher, BBC , Jun 18 2014.

“US warnings about the risk of suicide in young people prescribed antidepressant medication may have backfired, research suggests. A study, in the British Medical Journal, showed a sudden fall in antidepressant prescriptions and a rise in suicide attempts after media reports of the connection. The team at Harvard Medical School said the unintended effect was "disturbing". Experts said similar changes had been seen in other countries. ”