Supplement to my blog of Dec 16, 2010
‘Is Suicide Prevention’
Social Networking?
This posting is 1. Consistent with the suggestion [box] in Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) SPARK e-newsletter headings to pass the information along ‘to a friend.’ 2. The membership of the GovLoop organization (the addressee) has more than 30,000 members and still growing and of which I consider 99.99% to be my ‘friends. and 3. Content herein supplements my blog posted to the GovLoop website on 12.16.10 concerning suicide prevention in the U.S., and has become a significant national issue, and therefore deserves the effort.
To GovLoop, The following excerpts from the recent SPARK issue are representative SPARK content. I believe that the Weekly SPARK e-newsletter deserves to be widely reviewed by all government managers and staff in many functions. Meyer Moldeven
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Supplement to my blog of Dec 16, 2010
‘Is Suicide Prevention’
Social Networking?
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SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCE CENTER
Items From
The Weekly Spark – Week of December 15, 2010
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SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) highlights new resources
SAMHSA has added several new resources to its NREPP website to assist program developers considering NREPP submissions, as well as individuals and organizations who are seeking to successfully implement evidence-based interventions. They include: Implementation: Making an Evidence-Based Program Work for You; Preparing an Intervention for NREPP Submission and Potential Review; Evidence-Based Therapy Relationships; and Screening and Assessment Tools.
For more information http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1012071342.aspx
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SAMHSA releases publication covering suicidal ideation and behavior among adults.
A new publication using data from the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reveals that 8.4 million adults in the U.S. had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, 2.2 million made suicide plans, and one million attempted suicide. Page 11 of the report, Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings provides data by gender, racial/ethnic group, age group and employment status.
For more information http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k9NSDUH/MH/2K9MHResults.pdf
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DCoE collaborates with SPaRRC and the USAA Educational Foundation on new suicide prevention publication
The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), in collaboration with the Suicide Prevention and Risk Reduction Committee (SPaRRC) and The USAA Educational Foundation, has released the educational publication Suicide Prevention. This publication outlines steps service members and their families can take to help themselves or others who may be at risk, including how to recognize and help someone in crisis and where to seek help.
For more information http://www.usaaedfoundation.org/pdf/581.pdf
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National News
Suicide screening should be part of hospital procedure, panel says, American Medical News, Dec. 9, 2010
Hospitals should screen all patients for suicide risk and depression, according to the influential hospital and health care organization accreditation body the Joint Commission. Nearly a quarter of suicides reported in hospitals occur in areas other than behavioral health units (15 percent in medical or surgical units, 8 percent in emergency departments, and about 2.5 percent in long-term care hospitals or other settings). Joint Commission statistics show that suicide is the second most frequently reported sentinel event in hospitals, after wrong-site surgery. (The Joint Commission defines a sentinel event as an “unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury.”)
Link to Article
Spark Extra! Read the Joint Commission sentinel event alert A follow-up report on preventing suicide:Focus on medical/surgical units and the emergency department http://library.sprc.org/item.php?id=834
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Winter holiday suicide myth continues to be reinforced in press, APPC study finds, Annenberg Public Policy Center, Dec. 8, 2010
Many newspapers continue to perpetuate the myth that suicides increase during the holiday season, according to an analysis by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). The APPC study found that during last year’s holiday season (2009-2010), nearly half of news articles that made a direct connection between suicide and the holiday season supported the myth. The proportion of articles that reinforce the myth has decreased since the APPC began running its yearly analysis in 2000, but progress has slowed during recent years. “It is unfortunate that the holiday-suicide myth persists in the press,” said APPC researcher Dan Romer. “Aside from misinforming the public, this sort of reporting misses an opportunity to shed light on the more likely causes of suicide.” U.S. government statistics show that the suicide rate is lowest in December, and peaks in spring and fall.
Link to Article
Spark Extra! Download the full press release with charts and figures http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/Downloads/Releases/ACI/Holiday%20Suicide%20release%202010.pdf
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State and Tribal News
Oklahoma : Health officials: State in crisis level for suicides, The Express-Star, Dec. 10, 2010
As Oklahoma contends with state budget cuts to health services, mental health officials are concerned that their ability to prevent suicide will be adversely affected. The state has had to make cuts to services related to suicide prevention, such as treatment for substance abuse. Oklahoma may also lose $400,000 in annual funding for suicide prevention in 2011. Meanwhile, calls to the state’s suicide hotline are increasing, prompting Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Terri White to say that the state’s situation with regard to suicide is at a “crisis level.”
Link to Article
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International News
Australia: Government grilled over mental health services , ABC Sydney, Dec. 10, 2010
When it comes to mental health, the issues that concern Australian youth the most include negative perceptions of mental illness and a lack of mental health education in schools. According to Australian Mental Health Minister Mark Butler, who is conducting a series of mental health forums with youth ages 15 to 24, “[young people] strongly think mental health should be a part of the school curriculum just as much as physical education or mainstream health education.” The forums are sponsored by the youth mental health support organization ReachOut.
Link to Article
Spark Extra! Learn more about ReachOut http://au.reachout.com/
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The Weekly Spark contains announcements and information about suicide, suicide prevention and mental health issues. We offer brief summaries of national, state and international news; analyses of relevant research findings; descriptions of funding opportunities, and links to additional resources. The Weekly Spark is written and edited by SPRC staff. Every effort is made to offer relevant and timely information with links to the original content as available.We welcome your suggestions at [email protected]. In general, the Weekly Spark does not include editorials, opinion pieces or information on local events. Events may be listed in the SPRC Calendar http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/trainingandevents/calendar/index.asp
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