Announcements
New suicide data available from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC has released 2011 suicide data for the states that contribute to its WISQARS database; researchers for the American Association of Suicidology have integrated these data with other statistics to create " U.S.A. Suicide: 2011 Official Final Data," a 2-page overview of national suicide trends and state rankings. The CDC has also posted its 2013 report from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, with information on suicidal behavior and suicide deaths among youth and young adults.
Webinar: Innovative State and Local Crisis Response Systems
This is the fifth webinar in the SAMHSA series "Expanding Behavioral Health Community-Based Crisis Response Systems." It will be held on July 1, 2-3:30 p.m. ET. Registration is free and each session is archived for future availability.
Call for papers: International Association for Suicide Prevention
The theme of next year's international conference of the IASP is "New Discoveries and Technologies in Suicide Prevention." Proposals for workshops and symposia are due October 17, 2014. Abstracts of proposed papers are due January 4, 2015. The conference will be held in Montreal, Canada, June 16-20, 2015.
Sabbath for Suicide Prevention
The "Your Life Matters!" Sabbath for Suicide Prevention is being launched by the Faith Communities Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, which is developing a toolkit of resources for congregations to use. The event is planned for September 12-14, to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
A NOTE FROM THE SPARK TEAM
There will be no Weekly Spark published next week. Enjoy a safe holiday, and we'll see you on Friday, July 11!
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Tips & HintsAccessing the Weekly Spark online Visit the SPRC website to view full news and research details
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Advances in Suicide Prevention - Research, Practice, and Policy Implications for LGBT Populations
This webinar, co-sponsored by ICRC-S and SPRC, will offer up-to-date information on what is known about LGBT suicide risk across the lifespan as well as what is being done to improve future research. A panel will be moderated by Julie Ebin, Senior Prevention Specialist at SPRC. July 10, 3-4:30 p.m. ET. Space is limited; advance registration is advised.
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Research
Young People's Reactions to Suicide Loss
A pilot study found that young people who were between the ages of 16 and 24 when they experienced a friend's suicide "became more isolated, reduced their circle of close friends, and generally became more circumspect in relationships." They also engaged in "risky coping behaviors" including alcohol and drug use and high-risk sexual activity. The authors suggest a need for "increased awareness that friends of young people who die by suicide may have significant health and well-being challenges." Read more
This summary is based on: Bartik, W., Maple, M., Edwards, H., and Kiernan, M. (2013). Adolescent survivors after suicide: Australian young people's bereavement narratives.Crisis 34(3): 200-210.
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| National News
The Sentinel & Enterprise
The recent suicide death of a 78-year-old man in Leominster, MA has drawn attention to the high incidence of suicide among seniors nationwide. Experts note that isolation and depression are factors that can contribute to suicidality, and say that it is important for caregivers to become more alert to signs of these conditions in elders. Yeates Conwell, co-director for the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester, warned against oversimplifying the complex issue of elder suicide. He said that in surveys, older people show higher rates of happiness than younger people, in spite of the physical and emotional challenges of aging. He noted that suicide "is a rare event, and not one thing adequately explains it." In Massachusetts, the state department of public health funds an 8-hour training course to help caregivers and gatekeepers recognize and respond to warning signs for suicide among elders.
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Connecticut
National Public Radio
Connecticut lawmakers have passed a bill making mental health response training available to all of the state's police officers. The police department of Fairfield, CT has had a Crisis Intervention Team for over three years, staffed by 18 of the force's 107 officers. They have been trained to assess a situation that may be affected by a mental health problem an individual is experiencing, and they are often able to provide appropriate referrals rather than making an arrest. Officers often make follow-up visits to homes a few days after a mental health call, in order to connect people with the support services they may need, and to gather important contextual information that can help police respond safely and appropriately if another call comes in from the same household.
Spark Extra! A national conference on Crisis Intervention Teams will be held in Monterey, CA, October 13-15, 2014.
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The Australia Broadcasting Corporation
In the largely rural state of Western Australia, veterinarians face challenges to their mental health such as sleep-disruptive nighttime professional calls, stress, and witnessing the death and suffering of animals that they are unable to help. Combined with ready access to medications that can be used for self-poisoning, these conditions have contributed to a suicide rate in the profession that is alarming to many. In response, a group of veterinarians created a "graduate support program" to pair new vets with more seasoned colleagues who can offer advice and friendly contact, and who have been trained as gatekeepers to recognize signs of depression. The program's leaders hope soon to establish the network nationwide.
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