The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a wellspring of information about suicide and resources for prevention. Understanding suicide and its root causes are key to prevention efforts. Here are 10 things learned from research into suicide as compiled by AFSP: 10 THINGS LEARNED FROM RESEARCH You might be interested in other articles in NewsContinue reading “What research tells us about suicide”
Author Archives: Tim Rowden
Public perceptions about suicide and mental health are changing
A new national public perception survey reveals the majority of adults in the U.S. (94%) see suicide as a preventable public health issue, and 83% say they would be interested in learning how they might be able to play a role in helping someone who may be suicidal. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, theContinue reading “Public perceptions about suicide and mental health are changing”
Can smartphones and Fitbits predict who is suicidal?
A research project in Harvard’s psychology department is attempting to use to use advances in artificial intelligence to do something that has eluded psychiatrists for centuries: predict who is likely to attempt suicide and when that person is likely to attempt it, and then, intervene. It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, and admittedlyContinue reading “Can smartphones and Fitbits predict who is suicidal?”
Do antidepressants increase the risk of suicide?
Most antidepressants are generally safe. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all antidepressants carry black box warnings about the potential risk of increased suicidal thinking and behavior in some children and young adults under the age of 25. According to the Mayo Clinic: “Although antidepressants are more likely to reduce suicide risk inContinue reading “Do antidepressants increase the risk of suicide?”
Suicide, firearms and the case for waiting periods
Half of all suicides in the U.S. are by firearm. Nearly two-thirds of all firearms-arms related deaths in the U.S. are suicides Yet, only four states and the District of Columbia require any kind of waiting period for the purchase a gun.
What suicide loss survivors need most
When you’ve lost someone to suicide, one of the hurdles in recovery is the people who sympathize but don’t know what to say or do. Worse are those who don’t say anything for fear that mentioning your loved one’s name will hurt you. (Pro tip: Not saying their name hurts more.)
To find out what suicide loss survivors needed after their loved one died (and what they still need in the days, weeks, months and years to follow), the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention asked its community to share one way to support someone who’s lost a loved one to suicide.
If you think someone is thinking about suicide
If someone you know is in crisis, being there and truly listening to them is a huge step toward helping them. Here are concrete steps you can take to make sure they get the help they need.
What to do when someone is at risk
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has a trove of information about crisis intervention and advocacy. In this article, AFSP provides concrete steps you can take to help someone who is at risk. You can read the original article here. HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to come together with a combined voice and collective passion to focus on the tragedy of suicide and what can be done to help prevent it. The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) uses SuicidePrevention Awareness Month to shift public perception, spread hope and share vital information toContinue reading “September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month”
The stigma and the truth: Suicide by the numbers
By TIM ROWDENThe Grief Project Blog When our son Ian died of suicide in September 2021, we could have remained silent in our grief, hiding his true cause of death and hoping no one would ask. But doing so would have made us complicit in the stigma and ignorance surrounding suicide and mental health. DoingContinue reading “The stigma and the truth: Suicide by the numbers”
The Grief Project 