Brain circuits may reveal which young people are likely to commit suicide

Yale: A new Yale-led study of adolescents and young adults at high risk of taking their own lives — those suffering from bipolar disorder — implicates specific differences in the brains of those who attempt suicide and those who do not, researchers report Jan. 31 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. “Suicide is a leading cause of death of adolescents and young adults, and we can’t move on this issue fast enough,” said Hilary Blumberg, the John and Hope Furth Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience, professor in psychiatry, radiology, and biomedical imaging and in the Yale Child Study Center, and senior author of the study. “The identification of brain circuits involved in risk for suicide can lead to new ways to identify who is most at risk and hopefully, prevent suicides.”

Self-management techniques helping people manage suicidal thoughts

Otago: Self-management techniques need to be more widely acknowledged by mental health professionals as an option to help people who felt suicidal and better support provided to help them develop their own self-management strategies, according to new University of Otago research. The research paper “’It’s either do it or die’: The role of self-management of suicidality in people with experience of mental illness” published in the prestigious journal Crisis was co-authored by Research Fellow Dr Debbie Peterson and Professor Sunny Collings from the Social Psychiatry and Population Mental Health Research Unit, based at the University’s Wellington campus.

We all deserve the right to die without pain or fear, but assisted suicide won’t fix that

TheConversation: What connects these two recent news stories? Jeffrey Spector, a 54-year-old businessman with a spinal tumour, travels to Dignitas in Zurich to commit suicide, with support from his family; and the Health Service Ombudsman publishes a report called “Dying without Dignity”, which criticises the end-of-life care provided by the NHS. Campaigners for legal reform argue that Spector’s choice of death shows his search for dignity at the end of life and the desire to retain control: in a word, “autonomy”. But the ombudsman’s report – and a closer reading of the cases which constantly appear in the media – suggest it’s not autonomy. It’s mainly fear.

Germanwings prompts pilot review but industry must also deal with workplace stress

TheConversation: Following the tragedy of Germanwings flight 4U9525, the US Federal Aviation Administration has said it is launching a study into how pilots' mental health is monitored. It follows on from Lufthansa’s announcement of spot checks, much like dope testing in sport. The deliberate downing of the flight in March 2015 by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz led to 150 deaths and prompted calls for safeguards such as a requirement for two people to be present in the cockpit at all times and greater sophistication in the screening of pilots. However, this tragedy also highlighted the potential dangers of precarious employment contracts and the anxiety such contracts can cause. Murder-suicide is a rare and extreme act, but there was much speculation about Lubitz’s mental health and what may have led or exacerbated his situation.

The epidemic of burnout, depression and suicide in medicine: One doctor’s story

TheConversation: The suicides of two medical residents in New York City last fall have thrown a spotlight on a real problem among health care professionals, particularly physicians. Medical students, residents and practicing physicians commonly report symptoms of burnout and depression. Rates vary depending on the group, but range from 20-60%. Frank suicidal ideations (when someone has serious thoughts or plans about suicide) are reported in 5-10% of physicians.

Understanding the link between bullying and suicide

TheConversation: Bullying, most of us probably know, can be a tremendously painful experience for a young person. Stories about teens like Phoebe Prince or Amanda Todd who killed themselves after experiencing bullying have driven this point home. All 50 states have some kind of anti-bullying law, and schools are increasingly being called upon to implement bullying prevention programs. Bullying and suicide are both significant public health concerns for children and adolescents, and we need to understand the link between the two. That means making sure that research evidence is integrated into the discussion so that we don’t jump to the wrong conclusions about bullying and suicide.

Can ketamine help prevent suicide?

Yale: A clinical trial is underway to help answer that question. It is testing the ability of esketamine, a drug very similar to ketamine, to alleviate suicidal thinking in severely depressed patients. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist drug, has been shown to dramatically improve symptoms of major depression. Gerard Sanacora MD, PhD, director of the Yale Depression Research Program and the principal investigator for the Yale site in this national, multi-site study, says the current research has the potential to change the way people are treated in emergency rooms and other settings "in the very near future." "If it works," he explains, "it will have a profound impact on our ability to help people are who suicidal."

Can a tweet or a status update indicate suicide risk?

UNSW researchers at the Black Dog Institute are using digital technologies to target groups most at risk of mental illness, including young people and those living in regional, rural and remote areas. Nearly 60% of Australians with symptoms of mental illness fail to seek formal treatment. UNSW researchers at the Black Dog Institute are hoping to reduce that burden by delivering mental health programs using digital technology such as apps and social media.

Mental health report finds staffing problems linked to ward suicides

Manchester: Suicidal patients who are under observation may be put at risk by relying on inexperienced staff and agency nurses, according to a new report issued today. 18 in-patients a year died by suicide while under observation. This usually meant checks every 10-15 minutes but in 9% the patient was supposed to be under constant observation.

Chronic disease major cause of death for seniors, suicide for young people

AIHW: Chronic disease continues to be the major cause of death among people aged over 45 in Australia, with suicide the leading cause among people aged 15-44,' said AIHW spokesperson Louise York.
Coronary heart disease was the most common underlying cause of death in Australia for people aged over 45, followed by cerebrovascular disease, cancers, dementia and Alzheimer disease and respiratory conditions.

Men and suicide: Know the warning signs

UNSW: Men who feel suicidal often display distinctive warning signs, offering those closest to them significant opportunities to intervene. Men who feel suicidal often display distinctive warning signs, offering those closest to them significant opportunities to intervene, a study by UNSW researchers at the Black Dog Institute has found.

Unemployment and job insecurity linked to increased risk of suicide

NHS. UK: “Unemployment causes 45,000 suicides a year worldwide,” The Guardian reports. The story comes from a study that looked at the association between suicide rates and unemployment in 63 countries across the world.

Sharp, Sustained Increases in Suicides Closely Shadowed Austerity Events in Greece

Pennsylvania University. US: Sharp and significant increases in suicides followed select financial crisis events and austerity announcements in Greece, from the start of the country’s 2008 recession to steep spending cuts in 2012, Penn Medicine researchers report in a new study published online this week in the British Medical Journal Open, along with colleagues from Greece and the United Kingdom. After one austerity-related announcement in 2011, when the government announced steep spending cuts, suicides surged by over 35 percent, an increase that was then sustained through to the end of the study in 2012.

Suicide rate and increased unemployment

INSERM. France: A study conducted by Inserm’s Centre for Epidemiology on Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc) and the Paris public hospital system (AP-HP) highlights an association between suicide rate and unemployment in metropolitan France between 2000 and 2010.

Attempted suicide among young people can be reduced by 50 percent [

Karolinska Institutet. Sweden: A new study published in journal  The Lancet  outlines a programme for preventing suicidality among young people. The results provide strong endorsement for a method whereby school students learn to discover signs of mental ill-health in themselves and their friends, while they are also trained to understand, interpret and manage challenging emotions. The European study was led from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and researchers now hope to see the method reach a large number of young people in European schools.

Youth Risk Behavior United States, 2013

Many high school students in the USA engage in behaviors at risk for disease and mortality, according for the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 2013 report.

• 41.4% of high school students nationwide who drove a car or other vehicle had texted or e-mailed while driving, 
• 34.9% had drunk alcohol, and 23.4% had used marijuana. 
• 14.8% had been electronically bullied, 
• 19.6% had been bullied on school property, and 
• 8.0% had attempted suicide. 
• Many high school students are engaged in sexual risk behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections, including HIV infection.

Some risk behaviors have decreased (physical fighting, cigarette use, and sexual activity) while some have increased (having not gone to school because of safety concern, obesity and overweight) and some have not changed (suicide attempts treated by a doctor or nurse, having ever used marijuana, and having drunk alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse).
The good news is that current cigarette smoking among high school students is at its lowest level in more than 20 years.
Source: CDC