scholarly journals The Airman’s Edge Project: A Peer-Based, Injury Prevention Approach to Preventing Military Suicide

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3153
Author(s):  
Justin C. Baker ◽  
Craig J. Bryan ◽  
AnnaBelle O. Bryan ◽  
Christopher J. Button
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Injury Prevention ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Prevention Model ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Military Suicide ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors

In light of data indicating military personnel are more likely to reach out to peers during times of need, peer-to-peer (P2P) support programs have been implemented for military suicide prevention. Often designed to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors by reducing mental health symptom severity, existing data suggest that P2P programs have little to no effect on mental health symptoms. Conceptualizing suicide prevention from an occupational safety and injury prevention perspective to promote positive health-related behavior change at both the group and individual level may enhance the effectiveness of P2P programs and military suicide prevention efforts more broadly. To illustrate these concepts, the present article provides an overview of the Airman’s Edge project, a P2P program design based upon the occupational safety and injury prevention model of suicide prevention, and describes a program evaluation effort designed to test the effectiveness of this approach.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life, Sleep Quality, Mental Health, Cognitive Performance, Pain-Cognition, and Positive Health in Spanish Fibromyalgia Individuals: The Al-Ándalus Project

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Segura-Jiménez ◽  
Fernando Estévez-López ◽  
Alberto Soriano-Maldonado ◽  
Inmaculada C. Álvarez-Gallardo ◽  
Manuel Delgado-Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Tender Points ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Objective. To test the gender differences in tenderness, impact of fibromyalgia, health-related quality of life, fatigue, sleep quality, mental health, cognitive performance, pain-cognition, and positive health in Spanish fibromyalgia patients and in age-matched nonfibromyalgia individuals from the same region. To test the optimal cut-off score of the different tender points for women and men.Methods. A total of 405 (384 women) fibromyalgia versus 247 (195 women) nonfibromyalgia control participants from southern Spain (Andalusia) took part in this cross-sectional study. The outcomes studied were assessed by means of several tests.Results. In the fibromyalgia group, men showed better working memory than women (all,P<0.01), whereas sleep latency was lower in women compared to men (P=0.013). In the nonfibromyalgia group, men showed higher pain threshold in all the tender points (all,P<0.01), except in right and left lateral epicondyle. Furthermore, men showed better working memory than women (all,P<0.01), whereas memory performance was better in women compared to men (all,P≤0.01).Conclusion. The results of the present study do not support consistent evidence of gender differences in fibromyalgia-related symptoms. However, it seems that detriment of some symptoms (especially pain) in fibromyalgia men compared with their nonfibromyalgia counterparts is greater than those of fibromyalgia women compared with their nonfibromyalgia peers.

Leveraging data science to enhance suicide prevention research: a literature review

2021 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2021-044322
Author(s):  
Avital Rachelle Wulz ◽  
Royal Law ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Amy Funk Wolkin
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Injury Prevention ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Prevention Research ◽  
Science Method ◽  
Individual Level

ObjectiveThe purpose of this research is to identify how data science is applied in suicide prevention literature, describe the current landscape of this literature and highlight areas where data science may be useful for future injury prevention research.DesignWe conducted a literature review of injury prevention and data science in April 2020 and January 2021 in three databases.MethodsFor the included 99 articles, we extracted the following: (1) author(s) and year; (2) title; (3) study approach (4) reason for applying data science method; (5) data science method type; (6) study description; (7) data source and (8) focus on a disproportionately affected population.ResultsResults showed the literature on data science and suicide more than doubled from 2019 to 2020, with articles with individual-level approaches more prevalent than population-level approaches. Most population-level articles applied data science methods to describe (n=10) outcomes, while most individual-level articles identified risk factors (n=27). Machine learning was the most common data science method applied in the studies (n=48). A wide array of data sources was used for suicide research, with most articles (n=45) using social media and web-based behaviour data. Eleven studies demonstrated the value of applying data science to suicide prevention literature for disproportionately affected groups.ConclusionData science techniques proved to be effective tools in describing suicidal thoughts or behaviour, identifying individual risk factors and predicting outcomes. Future research should focus on identifying how data science can be applied in other injury-related topics.

scholarly journals Behind the Reasons: The Relationship Between Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Risk Factors and Exposure to Season One of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jabari Miles Evans ◽  
Alexis R. Lauricella ◽  
Drew P. Cingel ◽  
Davide Cino ◽  
Ellen Ann Wartella
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Adult ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Adolescent And Young Adult ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health Related

With increasing media choice, particularly through the rise of streaming services, it has become more important for empirical research to examine how youth decide which programs to view, particularly when the content focuses on difficult health topics such as suicide. The present study investigated why adolescents and young adults chose to view or not view season 1 of 13 Reasons Why and how individual-level variables related to adolescents’ and young adults’ viewing. Using survey data gathered from a sample of 1,100 adolescents and young adult viewers and non-viewers of the series in the United States, we examined how participants’ resilience, loneliness, and social anxiety related to whether participants viewed the first season or not. Our descriptive results indicate that adolescents who watched the show reported that it accurately depicted the social realities of their age group, they watched it because friends recommended it, and they found the subject matter to be interesting. Non-viewers reported that they chose not to view the show because the nature of the content was upsetting to them. In addition, results demonstrated that participants’ social anxiety and resilience related to participants’ viewing decisions, such that those with higher social anxiety and higher resilience were more likely to report watching season 1. Together, these data suggest that youth make intentional decisions about mental health-related media use in an attempt to choose content that is a good fit for based on individual characteristics.

scholarly journals Yoga practice in the UK: a cross-sectional survey of motivation, health benefits and behaviours

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e031848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Cartwright ◽  
Heather Mason ◽  
Alan Porter ◽  
Karen Pilkington
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Yoga Practice ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesDespite the popularity of yoga and evidence of its positive effects on physical and mental health, little is known about yoga practice in the UK. This study investigated the characteristics of people who practise yoga, reasons for initiating and maintaining practice, and perceived impact of yoga on health and well-being.Design, setting and participantsA cross-sectional online anonymous survey distributed through UK-based yoga organisations, studios and events, through email invites and flyers. 2434 yoga practitioners completed the survey, including 903 yoga teachers: 87% were women, 91% white and 71% degree educated; mean age was 48.7 years.Main outcome measuresPerceived impact of yoga on health conditions, health outcomes and injuries. Relationships between yoga practice and measures of health, lifestyle, stress and well-being.ResultsIn comparison with national population norms, participants reported significantly higher well-being but also higher anxiety; lower perceived stress, body mass index and incidence of obesity, and higher rates of positive health behaviours. 47% reported changing their motivations to practise yoga, with general wellness and fitness key to initial uptake, and stress management and spirituality important to current practice. 16% of participants reported starting yoga to manage a physical or mental health condition. Respondents reported the value of yoga for a wide range of health conditions, most notably for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions. 20.7% reported at least one yoga-related injury over their lifetime. Controlling for demographic factors, frequency of yoga practice accounted for small but significant variance in health-related regression models (p<0.001).ConclusionThe findings of this first detailed UK survey were consistent with surveys in other Western countries. Yoga was perceived to have a positive impact on physical and mental health conditions and was linked to positive health behaviours. Further investigation of yoga’s role in self-care could inform health-related challenges faced by many countries.

scholarly journals Federal and state cooperation necessary but not sufficient for effective regional mental health systems: insights from systems modelling and simulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo-An Occhipinti ◽  
Adam Skinner ◽  
Samantha Carter ◽  
Jacinta Heath ◽  
Kenny Lawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New England ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Mental Health Systems ◽  
Central Coast ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Systems Modelling

AbstractFor more than a decade, suicide rates in Australia have shown no improvement despite significant investment in reforms to support regionally driven initiatives. Further recommended reforms by the Productivity Commission call for Federal and State and Territory Government funding for mental health to be pooled and new Regional Commissioning Authorities established to take responsibility for efficient and effective allocation of ‘taxpayer money.’ This study explores the sufficiency of this recommendation in preventing ongoing policy resistance. A system dynamics model of pathways between psychological distress, the mental health care system, suicidal behaviour and their drivers was developed, tested, and validated for a large, geographically diverse region of New South Wales; the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (PHN). Multi-objective optimisation was used to explore potential discordance in the best-performing programs and initiatives (simulated from 2021 to 2031) across mental health outcomes between the two state-governed Local Health Districts (LHDs) and the federally governed PHN. Impacts on suicide deaths, mental health-related emergency department presentations, and service disengagement were explored. A combination of family psychoeducation, post-attempt aftercare, and safety planning, and social connectedness programs minimises the number of suicides across the PHN and in the Hunter New England LHD (13.5% reduction; 95% interval, 12.3–14.9%), and performs well in the Central Coast LHD (14.8% reduction, 13.5–16.3%), suggesting that aligned strategic decision making between the PHN and LHDs would deliver substantial impacts on suicide. Results also highlighted a marked trade-off between minimising suicide deaths versus minimising service disengagement. This is explained in part by the additional demand placed on services of intensive suicide prevention programs leading to increases in service disengagement as wait times for specialist community based mental health services and dissatisfaction with quality of care increases. Competing priorities between the PHN and LHDs (each seeking to optimise the different outcomes they are responsible for) can undermine the optimal impact of investments for suicide prevention. Systems modelling provides essential regional decision analysis infrastructure to facilitate coordinated federal and state investments for optimal impacts.

scholarly journals The Perceived Stigma Reduction Expressed by Young Adults in Response to Suicide Prevention Videos

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6180
Author(s):  
Sarah Keller ◽  
Vanessa McNeill ◽  
Tan Tran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Meaningful Change ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Individual Level

Evidence indicates that stigma impedes an individual’s chance of seeking professional help for a mental health crisis. Commonly reported aggregate-level results for stigma-reduction efforts obfuscate how much stigma reduction is needed to incur a practically meaningful change within an individual, defined here as an attitudinal shift and openness towards seeking mental health for oneself and/or support for others. When basing conclusions and recommendations about stigma-reducing interventions on aggregate scales, it is unclear how much stigma reduction is needed to incur meaningful change within an individual. We explored the impact of reductions in stigma of help-seeking scores in response to an online suicide prevention video among young adults in the United States, using online surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data. We compared mean changes in the stigma scores from pre- to post-test (video exposure) of 371 young U.S. adults using standard t-tests and individual level analysis. A separate thematic analysis of free-text responses was also conducted from a smaller, randomly-selected subgroup, capturing individuals’ attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems. Great attention was given to participants to ensure that they were in a campus setting where counseling services were available. Four main themes emerged: (1) small changes in stigma scores were associated with individual reports of meaningful reductions in their attitudes towards professional counseling; (2) increased empathy towards victims of suicide and other mental health problems sometimes indicated increased empathy for victims of suicide and decreased openness in professional help; (3) empathy towards victims sometimes took the form of increased scores and grief or sadness, possibly thwarting the potential for help-seeking; and (4) self-reports of decreased stigma were not always associated with increased openness towards help-seeking. Results also indicated that small stigma score charges, not meeting statistical significance, were often associated with increased openness towards seeking help. These findings, discovered using mixed-methods, contribute to the body of literature regarding stigma towards suicide and help-seeking by demonstrating deficits in the aggregate-only analysis of stigma-reducing interventions specifically aimed at suicide prevention. Such individuation in stigma experiences indicates that public education on how to reduce the stigma of help-seeking for suicide prevention needs to consider individual-level analyses for improving target populations. Recommendations for future research include additional studies prior to releasing suicide prevention videos to public forums where they may be seen by individuals without access to help.

scholarly journals Can mental health related hospital visits be relied upon for suicide prevention?

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstina Boctor ◽  
Douglas Harder ◽  
Liz Letwiniuk ◽  
Gene Marcoux ◽  
Kristi Langhorst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Health Related ◽  
History Of ◽  
Hospital Visits

IntroductionEven among people with mental disorders, relatively few die of suicide. However, a large proportion of people dying from suicide have seen a physician in the year before death. This raises the question whether focusing on hospital visits for suicide-related outcomes is a viable suicide prevention strategy. Objectives and ApproachOur objective was to examine whether a hospital visit for a mental disorder or prior suicide attempt preceded suicide death. We requested Saskatchewan’s provincial coroner for records of people dying of suicide in the Saskatoon Health Region catchment area for the years 2012 to 2016. The coroner’s list was linked with hospital and community mental health databases. Patient charts and medical abstracts in both settings were reviewed for risk factors. ResultsThere were 143 suicide deaths in the time period and the yearly incidence was higher in Saskatoon as compared with the national average. Only 38 percent were seen previously in any Saskatoon hospital for a mental disorder (11 percent for a self-harm diagnosis). The chart review confirmed several known psychological and social risk factors. Having a history of depression or psychosis and alcohol and/or drug use were common. Many decedents also had disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds characterized by vulnerable housing and being on social assistance. Conclusion/ImplicationsWith only 38 percent of decedents being seen in hospital, community-based mental health care and data are important for suicide prevention. Suicide prevention efforts can be aided by facilitating the linkage of community and medical records to better track patients as they move between care settings.

Root Cause Analyses of Suicides of Mental Health Clients

Crisis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 316-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Gillies ◽  
David Chicop ◽  
Paul O'Halloran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Data Collection Tool ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Communication Problems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mental Health Clients ◽  
Imminent Risk

Abstract. Background: The ability to predict imminent risk of suicide is limited, particularly among mental health clients. Root cause analysis (RCA) can be used by health services to identify service-wide approaches to suicide prevention. Aims: To (a) develop a standardized taxonomy for RCAs; (b) to quantitate service-related factors associated with suicides; and (c) to identify service-related suicide prevention strategies. Method: The RCAs of all people who died by suicide within 1 week of contact with the mental health service over 5 years were thematically analyzed using a data collection tool. Results: Data were derived from RCAs of all 64 people who died by suicide between 2008 and 2012. Major themes were categorized as individual, situational, and care-related factors. The most common factor was that clients had recently denied suicidality. Reliance on carers, recent changes in medication, communication problems, and problems in follow-through were also commonly identified. Conclusion: Given the difficulty in predicting suicide in people whose expressions of suicidal ideation change so rapidly, services may consider the use of strategies aimed at improving the individual, stressor, support, and care factors identified in this study.

Preventing Suicide in Prisons, Part II

Crisis ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 122-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc S. Daigle ◽  
Anasseril E. Daniel ◽  
Greg E. Dear ◽  
Patrick Frottier ◽  
Lindsay M. Hayes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Task Force ◽  
International Association ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Correctional Systems ◽  
Prevention Activities ◽  
Prison Systems

Abstract. The International Association for Suicide Prevention created a Task Force on Suicide in Prisons to better disseminate the information in this domain. One of its objectives was to summarize suicide-prevention activities in the prison systems. This study of the Task Force uncovered many differences between countries, although mental health professionals remain central in all suicide prevention activities. Inmate peer-support and correctional officers also play critical roles in suicide prevention but there is great variation in the involvement of outside community workers. These differences could be explained by the availability of resources, by the structure of the correctional and community services, but mainly by the different paradigms about suicide prevention. While there is a common and traditional paradigm that suicide prevention services are mainly offered to individuals by mental health services, correctional systems differ in the way they include (or not) other partners of suicide prevention: correctional officers, other employees, peer inmates, chaplains/priests, and community workers. Circumstances, history, and national cultures may explain such diversity but they might also depend on the basic way we think about suicide prevention at both individual and environmental levels.

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