Suicide Gene?

National Institute of Mental Health
A new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health found a strong association between stressful life events and the development of major depression, but did not support the role of a particular gene variation previously thought to increase risk. A 2003 study had reported an increased risk for major depression among people with a particular gene variation who were exposed to a number of stressful life events over a five-year period. The new meta-analysis examined 14 studies that attempted to replicate the results of the 2003 study and found no association between the gene variant and major depression (alone or in conjunction with stressful life events) in any of the studies analyzed.

More information can be found at www.sprc.org
.....from Weekly SPARK

Pioneer in Suicide Prevention Dies

Edwin S. Shneidman, a pioneer in the field of suicide prevention and a prolific thinker and writer who believed that life is enriched by contemplation of death and dying, has died. He was 91.

Shneidman, one of the founders of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, believed that two simple questions -- "Where do you hurt?" and "How may I help you?" -- could begin to unlock the suicidal impulse.

Shneidman, along with Norman Farberow and Robert Litman, established the center in an abandoned tuberculosis hospital on the grounds of Los Angeles County Hospital in 1958. Staff members offered counseling and support over the phone to the depressed and suicidal. It represented a radical idea in mental health care in America.
...excerpted from LA Times.

Military and Veterans' Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

New Resources Available on Military and Veterans' Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
• TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) has recently published A TRICARE Guide: Understanding Behavioral Health. The guide is an important tool to reduce the stigma associated with getting help for behavioral and mental health issues.
• The Army has developed a campaign plan for health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention.
• The Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran's Association (IAVA) has created a website to support military families and friends in identifying warning signs in their loved ones and to provide tips on how to engage in conversations about mental health and seeking help.
To learn more got to SPAN USA.
..from E-News, SPAN USA

AFSP/SPAN Merger Complete

SPAN USA, as a division of AFSP, will spearhead the foundation's advocacy and public policy initiatives from our Washington, D.C. office. Five former members of SPAN USA's board of directors have been appointed to AFSP's national board of directors and a 15-member public policy council has been established to guide the organization's advocacy agenda.
...from E-News, SPAN

“Teens in Crisis”

Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Jerry Reed, Director, SPRC

Date: May 13, 2009
Time: 8:30am to 4:00pm
Location: Germanna Community College, Daniel Technology Center, Culpeper, Va.
Cost: Free and lunch is provided

Topics:
• Communities in Action
• Intervention System for Schools
• Aftermath: Developing a Community Response

RSVP: Linda Hawkins at lhawkins@rrcsb.org

Sponsored by: Teen Suicide Prevention Grant, Healthy Culpeper Prevention Coalition,
Mental Health Association of Fauquier, Orange County Interagency Council,
Fauquier CADRE, and Madison County Prevention Coalition

Trends in ER visits, 1992-2001

[Crisis] Over the course of the decade studied, the rate of emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. that were related to suicide attempts virtually doubled. The observed increases were concentrated in metropolitan areas, among non-Hispanic whites, in individuals under 15 years of age or between the ages of 50 and 69. Emergency departments are under-recognized for their importance as sites for suicide prevention. [Read more]
...from SPRC, Weekly SPARK

SPRC: GLBT Youth Research

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) has released Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Written by SPRC staff and reviewed by experts in sexual and gender minority issues, suicide, and suicide prevention, and by youth, this publication addresses the special concerns related to suicide prevention among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Research conducted by experts in mental health, suicide prevention, and other fields shows that a higher proportion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth consider and attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers. Based on the higher rate of suicide attempts among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth and the relative seriousness of these attempts, the authors of this report postulate that it is likely these youth experience higher rates of suicide deaths than non-LGB youth. Less research about transgender youth is available, but these youth generally share risk factors associated with suicidal behavior (such as victimization, depression and substance abuse) with their LGB peers.

Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth draws on research from the past ten years to summarize the current state of knowledge about suicidality in LGBT youth, and outlines twenty-one recommendations for helping to reduce suicidal behavior in this group. These recommendations are appropriate for agencies, organizations, and individuals such as school staff, health and social service providers, suicide prevention programs, and researchers, as well as funders and organizations serving LGBT youth. Recommendations are in the following areas:
• lowering risk specific to or disparately affecting LGBT youth
• improving provider recognition of youth at risk
• increasing outreach and access to services
• increasing coping and protective factors among these youth
The paper, coauthored by Effie Malley, Marc Posner, and Lloyd Potter, includes a resource appendix and an extensive bibliography. The paper may be downloaded from the SPRC site at http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf

SPRC provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist states, tribal nations, organizations, and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions, and policies. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), SPRC is operated by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), in Newton, Massachusetts.