MinTankesmie

Forebygger antidepressiva selvmord?

Nedgang i selvmord kan ikke knyttes til nyere antidepressiva (pdf) (physorg.com)
fhi.no 10.9.2010 (Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt (FHI))
Mange forskere har studert forholdet mellom økningen i salg av nye antidepressive legemidler de siste tiårene og et samtidig fall i selvmordsraten. Nå foreligger resultater fra en studie basert på tall fra de nordiske landene. I studien finner forskerne ingen holdepunkter for at de nye legemidlene kan knyttes til lavere selvmordsrate. Forskerne finner heller ikke at redusert salg av de eldre og mer forgiftningsfarlige legemidlene kan forklare en reduksjon i selvmordsrater. (...)

I studien som nylig er publisert i BMC Psychiatry har forskerne innhentet data fra de nordiske landene på selvmordsrate (antall selvmord per 100 000 innbyggere) og salgstall for antidepressive legemidler, både SSRI- og TCA-preparater. Totalt inngår over 60 000 selvmord i materialet. Forskerne har gjort en statistisk analyse av forholdet mellom endringer i selvmordsraten og endringer i salgstallene både for nye og eldre antidepressive legemidler i perioden 1990-98 i de respektive landene. Det er i denne tidsperioden at endringene i salgstallene var størst og hvor det største fallet i selvmordsraten kunne forventes.

Hovedspørsmålene forskerne har stilt seg er:

1.Kan en sterk økning i salget av SSRI-preparater i et bestemt år knyttes til en sterk nedgang i selvmordsraten det samme året?

2.Kan nedgangen i salget av TCA-preparater knyttes til nedgangen i selvmordsraten?

Studien konkluderer med negativt svar på begge spørsmålene når de nordiske landene ses under ett.

En tidligere studie ved Folkehelseinstituttet (Bramness et al, 2007) har antydet en sammenheng mellom økningen i salgstallene for SSRI-preparater og nedgangen i selvmordsraten i Norge på starten av 1990-tallet og at dette kan forklares med at færre bruker TCA til å begå selvmord. I den nye nordiske studien faller denne sammenhengen bort når man inkluderer de andre landene i analysene og studerer om store økninger salg av SSRI etterfølges av et stort fall i selvmord. Den nye studien viser også at reduksjonen i salg av TCA ikke kan forklare reduksjonen i selvmordsrater. Forskerne bak studien konkluderer med at mekanismene som påvirker selvmordsraten ikke er salg av antidepressiva, men andre faktorer som er lite forstått og ikke lette å måle. (...)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (nytteverdi) (mintankesmie.no).)

- Redusert antall obduksjoner gir skjeve selvmordsrater

Coroners’ verdicts and suicide statistics in England and Wales (Rettsmedisineres avgjørelser og selvmordsstatistikk i England og Wales)
BMJ 2011; 343:d6030 (6 October)
Økende bruk av beretninger som grunnlag for avgjørelser reiser alvorlige bekymringer (Increasing use of narrative verdicts raises serious concerns)

Suicide is the most tragic consequence of mental illness, and it accounted for 4648 deaths in England and Wales in 2009.¹ Reliable suicide statistics are essential to inform and evaluate suicide prevention strategies,² highlight changes in rates (perhaps as a result of changing socioeconomic conditions), and detect emergence of new methods of suicide.³ (...)

(Anm: Obduksjoner, dødstall og dødsårsaker. (mintankesmie.no).)

Suicide figures may be wrong, says study (Selvmordstall kan være feilaktige, ifølge studie)
austrianindependent.com 10.9.2011
Significantly more people may have killed themselves in Austria in the past years than official statistics suggest, according to a landmark investigation.

Researchers of Vienna Medical University (MedUni) said yesterday (Weds) they found out that a decrease of autopsies could distort figures on people’s causes of deaths. Fewer than one in five fatalities are examined in autopsies in Austria. Almost twice as many autopsies took place 20 years ago.

MedUni research found that countries with higher autopsy rates seem to have higher suicide figures. They pointed out that the number of suicides in these states could be understood to be higher purely based on the fact that more deceased citizens were found to have killed themselves as a higher number of autopsies took place.

The study considered cause of death information from 35 countries. It was published in Archives of General Psychiatry, a monthly medical journal of the American Medical Association.

Approximately 1,300 people killed themselves in Austria in the most recent years, according to official figures. Almost twice as many cases of suicide were recorded in the alpine country 25 years ago. At the same time, the number of autopsies dropped considerably. Especially the cause of death of elderly citizens is often not being investigated, the team of MedUni scientists pointed out. (...)

(Anm: Declining Autopsy Rates and Suicide Misclassification (Reduserte obduksjonsrater og feilklassifisering av selvmord) Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(10):1050-1057 (October) (pdf).)

Autopsy decline skews suicide rates (Redusert antall obduksjoner gir skjeve selvmordsrater)
imt.ie 3.8.2011
Caution should be used when comparing international suicide rates as many countries registering a decline in suicide show a corresponding drop in autopsies, international research shows.

The authors of the study concluded that autopsy rates were a “major predictor” for suicide rates, and “may [therefore] affect the validity of suicide statistics”.
The current analysis involved data from 35 European and Asian countries during a roughly 30-year period to 2007 and used autopsy rates as an external measure of validation of cause-of-death-statistics.

Writing in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the authors noted a consistently strong positive correlation between autopsy rates and suicide rates for all three decades of the study. For example, cross-sectional estimates showed that a 1 per cent difference between national autopsy rates was associated with a suicide rate difference of 0.49 per 100,000 population. (...)

Furthermore, declining suicide rates in Europe suggested these decreases harboured a “sizeable artifactual component” that warranted in-depth investigation. (...)

(Anm: Declining Autopsy Rates and Suicide Misclassification (Reduserte obduksjonsrater og feilklassifisering av selvmord) Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(10):1050-1057 (October) (pdf).)

The relationship between sales of SSRI, TCA and suicide rates in the Nordic countries (Sammenhengen mellom salg av SSRI, TCA og selvmordsrater i de nordiske land) (PDF) (PDF)
BMC Psychiatry 2010, 10:62 (6 August 2010)
Background In the period 1990-2006, strong and almost equivalent increases in sales figures of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were observed in all Nordic countries. The sales figures of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) dropped in Norway and Sweden in the nineties. After 2000, sales figures of TCAs have been almost constant in all Nordic countries. The potentially toxic effect of TCAs in overdose was an important reason for replacing TCAs with SSRIs when treating depression. We studied whether the rapid increase in sales of SSRIs and the corresponding decline in TCAs in the period 1990-98 were associated with a decline in suicide rates.

Methods Aggregated suicide rates for the period 1975-2006 in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) were obtained from the national causes-of-death registries. The sales figures of antidepressants were provided from the wholesale registers in each of the Nordic countries. Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Results There was no statistical association (P = 1.0) between the increase of sales figures of SSRIs and the decline in suicide rates. There was no statistical association (P = 1.0) between the decrease in the sale figures of TCAs and change in suicide rates either.

Conclusions We found no evidence for the rapid increase in use of SSRIs and the corresponding decline in sales of TCAs being associated with a decline in the suicide rates in the Nordic countries in the period 1990-98. We did not find any inverse relationship between the increase in sales of SSRIs and declining suicide rates in four Nordic countries. (...)

Drug labels must carry suicide alert (Alle pakningsvedlegg må inkludere advarsel mot selvmord)
independent.ie 24.2.2008
(...) All brands of antidepressant for sale in Ireland will have to carry a warning that the side-effects may include suicide.

After a review carried out by the US Food and Drugs Agency, 33 products which are also widely prescribed in Ireland were deemed to carry a significant risk and merit the warning. (...)

Drop in SSRI Prescribing in the United Kingdom Did Not Lead to Youth Suicide Spike (Reduksjon i SSRI-forskrivning førte ikke til økning av selvmord hos ungdommer)
medscape.com 21.2.2008
February 21, 2008 — Reduced prescribing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants for young people in the United Kingdom following regulatory action in 2003 did not lead to an increase in suicidal behavior, according to an ecological time series study.

The study, led by Benedict W. Wheeler, PhD, from the University of Bristol, in the United Kingdom, was published online February 14 in BMJ.

"The findings are important, in that reduced access to antidepressants in young people in the United Kingdom following regulatory intervention appears not to have had an adverse impact on suicide deaths or hospital admissions for deliberate self-harm," Dr. Wheeler told Medscape Psychiatry. (...)

(Anm: The population impact on incidence of suicide and non-fatal self harm of regulatory action against the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in under 18s in the United Kingdom: ecological study. BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39462.375613.BE (published 14 February 2008).

Midlife Suicide Rises, Puzzling Researchers (Midtlivs-selvmord øker, forvirrer forskerne)
nytimes.com 19.2.2008
A new five-year analysis of the nation’s death rates recently released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the suicide rate among 45-to-54-year-olds increased nearly 20 percent from 1999 to 2004, the latest year studied, far outpacing changes in nearly every other age group. (All figures are adjusted for population.)

For women 45 to 54, the rate leapt 31 percent. “That is certainly a break from trends of the past,” said Ann Haas, the research director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

By contrast, the suicide rate for 15-to-19-year-olds increased less than 2 percent during that five-year period — and decreased among people 65 and older. (...)

At the moment, the prime suspect is the skyrocketing use — and abuse — of prescription drugs. During the same five-year period included in the study, there was a staggering increase in the total number of drug overdoses, both intentional and accidental, like the one that recently killed the 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger. Illicit drugs also increase risky behaviors, C.D.C. officials point out, noting that users’ rates of suicide can be 15 to 25 times as great as the general population. (...)

Suicide rate drops in young men
bbc.co.uk 15.2.2008
The suicide rate among young men in England and Wales is at the lowest level for 30 years, say researchers. (...)

Prescriptions of a type of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the under-18s have fallen by almost half in the past few years, after drug regulators issued stronger warnings on their use.

Professor Gunnell said concerns about the dangers of reducing antidepressant use in children, who might therefore be at an increased risk of committing suicide, had been raised by US research.

"There's been a greater fall in antidepressant prescribing in the UK but we have seen none of the potentially alarming upturn in suicides." (...)

Antidepressants and suicide
Editorials
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39482.666366.80 (published 14 February 2008)
Treatment is probably too sporadic to affect overall suicide rates (...)

More recent observational studies, however, raise doubts about an association between suicide rates and changes in antidepressant prescribing. The most recent US data suggest that adolescent suicide deaths began to decrease again between 2004 and 2005.⁷ The two accompanying observational studies show a lack of connection between antidepressant prescribing rates and suicide rates in adolescents and young adults in the United Kingdom.^{1 2} Suicide rates declined when antidepressant use steadily increased but continued to decline when the use of antidepressants fell sharply in 2003 and 2004. (...)

Suicide rates in young men in England and Wales in the 21st century: time trend study
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39475.603935.25 (published 14 February 2008)
(...) Possible recent reductions in alcohol use among young men and increases in prescribing of antidepressants do not seem to be temporally related to the decline in suicide. (...)

The population impact on incidence of suicide and non-fatal self harm of regulatory action against the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in under 18s in the United Kingdom: ecological study
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39462.375613.BE (published 14 February 2008)
(...) Conclusions The noticeable reduction in prescribing of antidepressants since regulatory action in 2003 to restrict the use of SSRIs in under 18s does not seem to have been associated with changes in suicidal behaviour in young people. Specifically, these data for England do not indicate that reductions in antidepressant use have led to an increase in suicidal behaviour. (...)

Varningstext på antidepressiva
lakartidningen.se 16.5.2007
FDA, USA:s läkemedelsverk, har nyligen utfärdat krav på varningstexter, »black box warning«, på antidepressiva preparat.

De nya varningstexterna på förpackningen skall ange att tonåringar under 18 år och unga vuxna mellan 18 och 24 löper en ökad risk för suicidala tankar och känslor i samband med antidepressiv medicinering. (...)

Vil advare mot selvmord
dagbladet.no 2.5.2007
ØKT SELVMORDSFARE: Antidepressive legemidler eller såkalte lykkepiller kan øke risiko for selvdestruktiv oppførsel for unge. Nå vil amerikanske legemiddelverket ha obligatorisk advarsel.

Det amerikanske legemiddelverket vil at unge som får lykkepiller skal advares om økt risiko for selvmord. (...)

FDA Seeks Antidepressant Suicide Warning
forbes.com 2.5.2007
Young adults beginning treatment with any antidepressant should be warned about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior associated with the drugs, health officials said Wednesday. (...)

Kan selvmord forebygges? (PDF)
Av professor Einar Kringlen
aftenposten.no 2.3.2007
Medikamentenes rolle. Psykiater Jørgen Bramness og psykolog Fredrik Walby hadde i Aftenposten 12. februar en artikkel om dette viktige temaet. Budskapet fra forfatterne er klart. Man fikk en nedgang i selvmord her i landet fra slutten av 1980-tallet, en nedgang som tilskrives de nyere antidepressive medikamentene.

De skriver også: «I årene etter medikamentene ble introdusert sank antall selvmord med opptil 150 pr. år.»Bare på et par år skulle altså nedgangen være på 300. Trykkfeil eller har det gått litt fort for forfatterne? Etter 1970-tallet begynte selvmordsratene å stige her i landet, og særlig på slutten av 80-tallet fikk man en påtagelig økning med en topp i 1988 med over 700 registrerte selvmord. Siden flatet tallene seg ut, og fra 1992 kom
det en betydelig nedgang, særlig for menn, med ca. 500 for 2003. Vi må tilbake til 1975 for å finne så lave tall.

Det er imidlertid tvilsomt om den store bruken av de «nyere» antidepressive medikamenter er årsaken til nedgangen, av følgende grunner:

• Velkontrollerte forsøk viser at virkningen av de nye antidepressive medikamentene er udramatisk.
• Det store salget av nye antidepressive tok av i Norge først etter 1993, og da hadde økningen i selvmordstallene allerede stanset opp.

Ved studium av selvmordsrater i forskjellige land fant forskeren Burgess og medarbeidere at de land som hadde satt i verk forebyggende tiltak, faktisk hadde den største økningen av selvmord. I motsetning til hva mange ville vente, fant man altså at forebyggende tiltak, blant annet bruk av antidepressive medikamenter, var knyttet til en økning av selvmord, særlig blant menn.

Drapstallene for Norge økte også fra 1970-tallet og nådde en topp i 1989 med 62 registrerte drap. Siden fant det sted en nedgang til 37 i 1999–med en lett oppgang i 2002. Selvmord og drap er gjerne knyttet til brede sosiale samfunnsendringer. Det mest interessante i denne sammenheng er faktisk hvorfor både selvmords- og drapstallene økte så sterkt på slutten av 1980-tallet. Plassen tillater ikke detaljer, men la meg minne om at i Norge representerte 80-tallet en nasjonal orgie i vekst og forbruk som endte med en bankkatastrofe på slutten av tiåret. (...)

- Tenk på et tall!

Tenk på et tall!
LEDER - G C Alfsen
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2010; 130:1594 (26.8.2010)
Dårlig kvalitetssikring av data i norske helseregistre gir et usikkert grunnlag for helsepolitiske beslutninger og medisinsk overvåking av befolkningen (...)

Utsagnet «søppel inn gir søppel ut» mister ikke sin gyldighet ved at databasen blir tilgjengelig på nett. Sentralt i helseforskningen står Norsk pasientregister, et register der det ikke telles, men fortolkes. Data er basert på at legene tolker sykdomsforløpet objektivt og klarer å oversette dette til koder. (...)

Men sett utenfra gjør det faktum at valg av ICD-koder er medvirkende til sykehusenes økonomi, at Pasientregisteret må anses som et lærebokeksempel i mulig skjevfordelte data. (...)

Forgiftningsdødsfallene i Muan og kollegers arbeid ble bare unntaksvis bekreftet av obduksjon eller toksikologiske analyser. Her kan det skjule seg selvmord. Fallende selvmordsrater de siste årene har vært tilskrevet effekten av nye antidepressiver (7), men hvor sikre er disse data? Kurvene for antall selvmord og rettsmedisinske undersøkelser er påfallende parallelle (fig 1). Det er derfor nærliggende å anta at manglende melding og oppfølging av unaturlig død gjør at mange forgiftningsselvmord ikke lenger oppdages eller registreres. Sammenlikner man summen av selvmord med gift og akutte forgiftningsdødsfall for 1996 og 2008, finner man da heller ingen nedgang, men en økning på 29 %. Uten bedre kvalitetssikring av registertallene, kan vi altså ikke si at selvmordsratene faller. Med basis i offentlige registre kan man like gjerne hevde at økt salg av nye antidepressiver gir økende selvmordsrater! (...)

Figur 1 Selvmord, akutte forgiftninger og rettsmedisinske undersøkelser 1980–2008. Tall fra Statistisk sentralbyrå og Den norske patologforening. Rettsmedisinske undersøkelser er vist som tidel av originaltallene (...)

Kodepraksis ved forgiftningsdødsfall
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2010; 130:1601-5 (26.8.2010)
(...) Bakgrunn. Det er drøyt 10 000 sykehusinnleggelser og nesten 100 dødsfall årlig i norske sykehus grunnet akutt forgiftning med legemidler i supraterapeutiske doser og ikke-medisinske stoffer. Hensikten med denne studien har vært å evaluere sykehusenes kodepraksis ved akutte forgiftningsdødsfall og skaffe informasjon om forgiftningsagens. (...)

Fortolkning. Nåværende diagnosekodepraksis gir ikke et korrekt bilde av sykehusdødsfall ved akutte forgiftninger, og registerstudier basert på diagnosekoder bør tolkes med forsiktighet. Registrering av ATC-koder på forgiftningsagens er mangelfull, og den norske versjonen av ICD-10 alene er uegnet til klassifisering av medikamentelle forgiftninger. Man bør vurdere å innføre den internasjonale versjonen av ICD-10 eller bedre rutinene for bruk av ATC-koding. (...)

Pasienter med selvpåført forgiftning i medisinsk avdeling
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2009; 129:882-4 (30.4.2009)
(...) Resultater. Forekomsten av sykehusbehandlet selvpåført forgiftning er 100–200 per 100 000 personår. Omkring 1 % dør i forbindelse med innleggelse, de fleste som følge av alvorlige komplikasjoner før innleggelsen. Dødeligheten er sterkt forhøyet 20 år etter utskrivning. (...)

Fortolkning. Helseproblemene ved selvpåført forgiftning er alvorligere enn det som reflekteres i oppfølging og omfanget av forskning. (...)

Forekomsten av selvpåført forgiftning
Når det gjelder pasienter som innlegges i akuttmedisinske avdelinger som følge av selvskading, dreier det seg først og fremst om akutte forgiftninger. Kopjar og medarbeidere fant at ratene for sykehusbehandlede forgiftningspasienter i Norge i 2000–02 var 144 per 100 000 personår for kvinner og 94 for menn (2). I en ny undersøkelse av forgiftninger i Oslo i løpet av ett år (2003–04) var det 3 775 behandlingskontakter (3 025 episoder, noen overflytninger) (3). 1 870 pasienter ble behandlet prehospitalt, 958 på legevakt og 947 i sykehus. Insidensen for sykehusinnlagte var 210 per 100 000 personår for kvinner og 190 for menn.

Blant de sykehusinnlagte kvinnene ble forgiftningen hos 41 % oppfattet som sikkert eller mulig selvmordsforsøk, 33 % som appell, mens 26 % var uhell eller rusrelatert. De tilsvarende tallene for menn var 28 %, 15 % og 57 %. Det er altså en betydelig kjønnsforskjell med hensyn til suicidal intensjon. Når handlingen ble oppfattet som appell, var pasientene vanligvis klar over at de ikke kunne dø av overdosen, eller sørget for å komme raskt til behandling. Den medisinske behandlingen er god, slik at det er få som dør (1,1 %) eller får varige skader (0,6 %) (4). De døde hadde som oftest pådratt seg komplikasjoner før de ble innlagt, slik som hypotermi eller hjertestans. (...)

- Legemidler utgjorde 73 % av sykehusforgiftningene

Akutte forgiftninger 1999 - 2004 - sykelighet og dødelighet
Grethe Helen Bøe Lilleeng Knut Joachim Berg Finn Gjertsen Erik Andrew
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 1023-7 (19.4.2007)
(...) Resultater. I perioden 1999 - 2004 var det årlig nesten 11 000 utskrivninger etter heldøgnsopphold ved somatiske sykehus som var relatert til akutt forgiftning (hoved- og bitilstand). Mortaliteten i sykehus var 0,8 %. Årlig ble det registrert omkring 500 dødsfall etter akutt forgiftning. Omkring 80 % av forgiftningsdødsfallene fant sted utenfor sykehus. (...)

En annen svakhet er at vi ikke vet hvor mange personer som ble behandlet etter akutt forgiftning. (...)

Selv om inntak av legemidler utgjorde 73 % av sykehusforgiftningene, manglet det informasjon om type legemiddel. Dette viser hvor mangelfull nåværende informasjon om legemiddelforgiftninger er i Norsk pasientregister. (...)

Fortolkning. Resultatene tyder på økt sykelighet og stabil dødelighet etter akutte forgiftninger i Norge. Informasjonen i dødsårsaksregisteret og spesielt i pasientregisteret bør forbedres. Spesifisering av agens og bruk av ATC-koder ved legemiddelforgiftninger vil øke nytteverdien. (...)

Konklusjon
I denne undersøkelsen presenteres for første gang en nasjonal oversikt over sykelighet og dødelighet etter akutt forgiftning. Rundt 500 personer døde årlig av akutt forgiftning, derav ca. 90 i sykehus. Det betyr at 80 % av dødsfallene fant sted utenfor sykehus. Årlig var bortimot 11 000 utskrivninger etter heldøgnsopphold ved somatiske sykehus relatert til akutt forgiftning som hoved- eller bitilstand. (...)

Ny rekord i forgiftninger med Panodil (Ny rekord i forgiftninger med paracetamol)
politiken.dk 9.3.2009
898 piger tog en overdosis piller i 2008. Statens svar er en ny kampagne, men fagfolk boykotter: Det er en lappeløsning.

Hver gang, 10 timer er gået, bliver endnu en pige indlagt akut på hospitalet, fordi hun har slugt en livsfarlig dosis Panodiler eller andre hovedpinepiller.

Det viser endnu ikke offentliggjorte tal fra Landspatientregistret, som Sundhedsstyrelsen har trukket til Politiken. Sidste år var 898 teenagepiger døden nær, fordi de tog for mange piller.

»Det er en helt sindssyg udvikling, som skal stoppes nu«, siger Anna Lynge, stifter af netværket Girltalk, hvor unge piger søger hjælp til at løse deres problemer. (...)

Panodil-overdosis ødelægger leveren (Paracetamoloverdose ødelegger leveren)
nyhederne.tv2.dk 26.2.2009
Selvmordsforsøg blandt helt unge piger er næsten firedoblet indenfor de seneste ti år, ligesom hver sjette af de 15- til 19-årige piger på landets gymnasier har forsøgt at begå selvmord - 18 procent ved at tage en overdosis af piller som blandt andet Panodil.

"Vi fik cirka 100 patienter om året - altså to patienter om ugen blev indlagt med en alvorlig forgiftning af paracetamol. Der er et stigende antal indlæggelser efter en overdosis," siger Kim Dalhoff, der er overlæge på Bispebjerg Hospital og tidligere har arbejdet på leverafdelingen på Rigshospitalet. (...)

"Hvis pigerne kommer tidligt i behandling, har vi en god og effektiv behandling - hvis der går lang tid, inden man kommer på hospitalet og får modgiftbehandling, kan leveren tage skade - i yderste konsekvens kan man dø af det," siger Kim Dalhoff. (...)

Flere ulykker og selvmord blant langtidsdiabetikere
dagensmedisin.no 24.5.2007
Nesten en tredel av dødsfall blant dem som har hatt diabetes type-1 siden barndommen, skyldes ulykke eller selvmord.

I sitt doktorgradsarbeid har barnelege Torild Skrivarhaug ved Ullevål Universitetssykehus fulgt 1906 barn og unge under 15 år som fikk diabetes da de var barn og ungdom for 25-35 år siden. (...)

- I løpet av perioden døde til sammen 103 av dem vi fulgte i undersøkelsen. En stor del av dødsfallene - 28 prosent - skyldtes det som klassifiseres som «voldsomme dødsfall», altså ulykker, suicid og forgiftninger, forklarer Skrivarhaug. (...)

Måtte dobbelsjekke dødsattesten
Da Torild Skrivarhaug jamførte dødsmeldingene med medisinske journaler og obduksjonsrapporter, så hun at mange av attestene unngikk å nevne selvmord.

Som en del av doktorgradarbeidet gikk barnelege Torild Skrivarhaug ved Ullevål Universitetssykehus gjennom 103 dødsattester og sam-menlignet dem med medisinske journaler og obduksjonsrapporter. I flere tilfeller var selvmord utelatt fra dødsattesten.

- Vi vet fra før at mange selvmord blir omtalt som noe annet på dødsattesten, sier hun.

Syv av 13 feilført
Opptellingen, som ble presentert i Diabetologia i oktober 2006, viste 30 tilfeller av voldsom død (selvmord og ulykke). I utgangspunktet var 20 av dem registrert som «ulykke», seks som «selvmord» og fire som «intoksikasjon» (forgiftning).

Gjennomgangen viste at syv av «ulykkene» i realiteten var selvmord. (...)

Underliggende årsak
Dette er feil føring av dødsattest. Som medlem av Verdens helseorganisasjon (WHO) er Norge forpliktet til å registrere underliggende dødsårsak.

- Ved skade eller forgiftning skal også ytre årsak registreres i dødsårsaksregisteret. Ved for eksempel drukning skal det indikeres om det skyldes ulykke, selvmord eller drap/vold. Dette blir ikke alltid gjort, og det er en kilde til feilklassifisering, forklarer forsker Finn Gjertsen ved Seksjon for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging ved Universitetet i Oslo.

Dårligere register
Dette går ut over kvaliteten på dødsårsaksregisteret.

- Det er vanlig å hevde at Norge har god kvalitet på helseregisterdata, men jeg er ikke overbevist om at vi er så gode som det gis inntrykk av. Hvis man bruker andel dødsfall som registreres med symptomer og ubestemte tilstander som indikator på kvalitet på registreringen i mortalitetsregisteret, har det nok heller skjedd en svekkelse i løpet av de siste fem-ti årene enn det motsatte, sier Gjertsen.

3000 oppfølginger
Dødsmeldingene registreres i Dødsårsaksregisteret av Statistisk Sentralbyrå (SSB). Om lag 3000 dødstilfeller i året må følges opp av SSB - fordi dødsmeldingen er uklar eller for dårlig utfylt.

I tillegg registreres dødsfall uten årsak når SSB får vite gjennom Folkeregisteret at personen er død, og dødsmeldingen aldri har kommet inn. (...)

(Anm: Long-term mortality in a nationwide cohort of childhood-onset type 1 diabetic patients in Norway. Diabetologia. 2006;49(2):298-305).)

Stadig flere unge forgifter sig med piller
berlingske.dk 16.1.2009
Antallet af unge, der forsøger at begå selvmord ved at sluge hovedpinepiller, er mere end tredoblet på 10 år.

Et rekordhøjt antal unge danskere prøver at slå sig ihjel ved at sluge en overdosis hovedpinepiller, skriver Politiken fredag.

I 1997 blev 259 personer i alderen 12-20 år indlagt med forgiftninger forårsaget af Panodil, Kodimagnyl og andre svage smertestillende midler. Det tal var ti år senere mere end tredoblet til 954 forgiftede unge, hvoraf den klart største del var piger. Det fremgår af et nyt notat fra Lægemiddelstyrelsen, skriver Politiken. Udviklingen er katastrofal, mener professor Merete Nordentoft fra Psykiatrisk Center Bispebjerg i København. (...)

Stor gjentakelse av selvpåførte forgiftninger
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2009; 129:90 (15.1.2009)
Nesten en tredel av alle pasienter med selvpåført forgiftning gjentar dette i løpet av ett år. Det viser en ny studie fra Oslo.

I studien ble alle forgiftninger som ble behandlet i sykehus og prehospitalt i løpet av ett år prospektivt registrert (1). (...)

Ved å bruke «overlevelsesstatistikk» beregnet vi ettårsrepetisjonsrate for alle typer selvpåførte forgiftninger og identifiserte prediktorer for gjentakelse.

Studien omfattet alle selvpåførte forgiftninger uavhengig av behandlingsnivå og intensjonen bak forgiftningen. Fordi både behandlingsnivå og intensjon kan variere fra episode til episode for samme person, er det viktig å inkludere bredt for å favne alle episoder.

Hele 30 % repeterte forgiftningsepisoden i løpet av ett år, og størst sannsynlighet for repetisjon ble funnet hos dem som forgiftet seg med sedativer eller opioider, var 30 - 49 år gamle, var permanent utenfor arbeidslivet, med tidligere suicidalforsøk eller tidligere psykiatrisk behandling. Et viktig tilleggsfunn var at intensjonen bak repeterte forgiftninger ble tolket ulikt fra episode til episode for nesten en firedel av pasientene. Det vil si at for samme pasient kunne en episode tolkes som en ren rusoverdose, mens en annen episode som suicidforsøk. Dette understreker at det er vage grenser mellom forskjellige typer selvpåførte forgiftninger og at det er viktig å inkludere bredt i slike studier. (...)

Høy selvmordsrate hos danske leger
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 3189 (13.12.2007)
(...) Suicidraten varierte betydelig mellom ulike yrkesgrupper. Den var høyest hos leger (RR 2,7; 95 % KI 1,8 - 4,2) og lavest hos arkitekter og ingeniører (RR 0,4). Sammenlikningsgruppen var grunnskolelærere. Mesteparten av den økte raten i de ulike yrkesgruppene kunne forklares ved sosioøkonomiske karakteristika i disse yrkene. Unntaket var leger og sykepleiere. Mesteparten av den økte raten for disse to gruppene skyldtes hyppigere anvendelse av medikamentoverdoser. Generelt hadde yrket liten sammenheng med selvmordet hos mennesker med psykiske lidelser. Også her skilte imidlertid legene seg ut - de hadde økt risiko (RR 3,6). Nesten halvparten av dem som døde i suicid, hadde vært innlagt i psykiatrisk avdeling - mot bare 5 % av kontrollpersonene.

Resultatene samsvarer med norske funn. Forgiftning med medikamenter er vanligste selvmordsmåte for leger. Dette henger sikkert sammen med kunnskaper og tilgjengelighet. På den annen side har for eksempel militært personell lav suicidrate. De danske tallene viser også, som i Norge, at det hos politifolk ikke er økt suicidrate. (...)

Økt suicidrate hos kvinnelige leger
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 3189 (13.12.2007)
Suicidraten hos kvinnelige leger er dobbelt så høy som hos andre kvinner. Det viser en studie fra USA.

En rekke studier gjennom mange år har vist at det hos leger er forhøyet selvmordsrate (1). Det gjelder også i Norge (2). Nå har amerikanske forskere analysert data fra 26 amerikanske delstater for perioden 1984 - 92 (3). De sammenliknet suicid hos leger, tannleger og personer i andre yrker. 203 legesuicid ble identifisert. (...)

Unintentional Poisoning Deaths United States 1999-2004 (Utilsiktede forgiftningsdødsfall i USA 1999-2004)
JAMA. 2007;297:1309-1311 (March 28)
MMWR. 2007;56:93-96
(...) I 2004 var forgiftninger i USA, som årsak til utilsiktede skader, nummer to etter bilulykker .¹ Nesten alle forgiftningsdødsfall i USA tilskrives medikamenter, og de fleste forgiftninger skjer som resultat av misbruk av reseptbelagte legemidler eller illegale midler.² (...) (In 2004, poisoning was second only to motor-vehicle crashes as a cause of death from unintentional injury in the United States.¹ Nearly all poisoning deaths in the United States are attributed to drugs, and most drug poisonings result from the abuse of prescription and illegal drugs.²)

Antallet utilsiktede forgiftningsdødsfall økte fra 12 186 i 1999 til 20 950 i 2004. Den årlige aldersjusterte rate økte med 62,5 %, fra 4,4 per 100 000 mennesker i 1999 til 7,1 i 2004. Økningen blant kvinner, fra 2,3 til 4,7 per 100,000 mennesker (103,0 %), var en dobling i forhold til økningen blant menn, fra 6,5 til 9,5 per 100,000 mennesker (47,1 %) (Table 1). (...) (The number of unintentional poisoning deaths increased from 12,186 in 1999 to 20,950 in 2004. The annual age-adjusted rate increased 62.5%, from 4.4 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 7.1 in 2004. The increase among females, from 2.3 to 4.7 per 100,000 population (103.0%), was twice the increase among males, from 6.5 to 9.5 per 100,000 population (47.1%) (Table 1).

Økt dødelighet lenge etter selvmordsforsøk
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen (1.12.2005)
Selvmordsforsøk er en sterk risikofaktor for selvmord. Mennesker som har forsøkt å ta sitt eget liv, må derfor følges opp særlig nøye. Nå har britiske forskere undersøkt hvordan det gikk med nesten 1 000 pasienter som var innlagt 1985 - 86 etter selvforgiftning med medikamenter (Br J Psychiatry 2005; 187: 470 - 5).

94 % lot seg oppspore etter 16 år. 17 % var døde, 3,5 % av sannsynlig suicid. Selvmord som dødsårsak var forbundet med en rekke faktorer som ble registrert under innleggelsen, men bare alvorligheten av selvmordsforsøket og en tidligere relevant sykehistorie var selvstendige risikofaktorer.

Prediksjon av suicid er svært vanskelig. Forfatterne mener derfor at god oppfølging av alle selvmordsforsøkere er nødvendig. (...)

Drikker seg i hjel
aftenposten.no 31.10.2005
Stadig flere finner drikker seg i hjel. Hvert tredje dødsfall blant middelaldrende menn i Finland i fjor skyldtes alkoholbruk, viste fersk statistikk mandag.

I 2003 døde 1.560 finner av alkoholrelaterte årsaker, mens tallet i år steg til 1.860, en økning på nesten 20 prosent. Tallet på slike dødsfall har økt jevnt og trutt de siste 20 årene, går det fram av oversikten fra Statistikcentralen i Helsingfors.

En tredel av alle dødsfall av denne typen skyldes akutt alkoholforgiftning. Resten skyldes langtidsvirkninger av et høyt alkoholforbruk, som lever- og hjerte-kar-sykdommer, sier medisinske fagfolk i Finland.

Årsaken til at tallet på alkoholdødsfall økte så bratt fra 2003 til 2004 er ennå ikke utredet. De mest utbredte dødsårsakene blant finske kvinner i arbeidsfør alder er brystkreft, og for mennenes vedkommende hjerte-kar-lidelser.

I mars i fjor satte finnene ned avgiften på brennevin med 44 prosent, som ledd i tilpasningen til det lavere avgiftsnivået i EU. Flere forskere mener at det er resultatene av denne alkoholpolitikken man nå ser på dødsstatistikken. (© NTB) (...)

Unge kvinner forsøker oftest selvmord
Aftenposten 30.6.2005
I løpet av tre år ble det registrert mer enn 13 000 selvpåførte forgiftninger med legemidler i Norge. De aller fleste tilfellene er selvmordsforsøk, og yngre kvinner er mest utsatt, viser en fersk studie.

- Det kan finnes noen forskjeller som kan forklare ulikhetene i disse fylkene, men det vet vi ikke nok om. Det kan være flere som kommer inn til behandling, eller det kan være måten behandlingsapparatet er organisert på eller andre faktorer, sier Dieserud til Aftenposten.

- Folkehelseproblem.
Nå etterlyser hun et nasjonalt, personidentifiserbart pasientregister, som blant annet kan avdekke hvor mange personer som har gjennomført flere selvmordsforsøk.

- Hvor mange overlagte og alvorlige selvmordsforsøk dreier dette seg om?

- Det kan vi ikke si ut fra vår undersøkelse. Men i gruppen selvpåførte forgiftninger, er den største gruppen innenfor det vi betegner som selvmordsforsøk. Vi bruker vanligvis en relativt vid definisjon på selvmordsforsøk, der det for de fleste ikke er et klart ønske om å dø. Det er blandede følelser, de ønsker både hjelp og de ønsker å dø, sier hun. Dieserud mener selvpåførte forgiftninger med legemidler utgjør et stort folkehelseproblem. (...)

Suicide and exposure to organophosphate insecticides: cause or effect?
Am J Ind Med. 2005;47(4):308-21 (April 2005)
BACKGROUND: Suicide using pesticides as agent is recognized as a major cause of pesticide poisoning. (...)

CONCLUSIONS: OPs are not only agents for suicide. They may be part of the causal pathway. Emphasizing OPs solely as agents for suicide shifts responsibility for prevention to the individual, reducing corporate responsibility and limiting policy options available for control. (...)

Health Effects of Insecticides
JAMA 2005;293:2992 (June 22/29, 2005)
...The data collected linked use of insecticides, including organophosphates and organochlorines, to reports of recurring headaches, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, hand tremors, numbness, and...
...the insecticides studied have been banned or restricted in the United States, including DDT and organophosphates.... (...)

- Flere selvmord i psykiatrien

Flere selvmord i psykiatrien
aftenposten.no 17.7.2011
Siden 2001 har antall selvmord i psykiatrien økt kraftig. Mange pårørende har fått erstatning på grunn av svikt i vurderingen av selvmordsfare. (...)

Fakta:Selvmord i Norge
2001: 549 selvmord
2005: 533 selvmord
2009: 573 selvmord

Selvmord i psykiatrien
2001: 31 (5,5 prosent av alle)
2005: 68 (12,8 prosent av alle)
2009: 118 (20,6 prosent av alle)

Kilder: SSB og Helsedirektoratet (...)

- Urovekkende
Tilfeller som dette blir stadig oftere meldt til Helsetilsynet. Fra 2001 til 2009 har tallet på mennesker som tar livet sitt i psykiatrien økt fra 31 til 118 i året. Helsetilsynet skriver i sin rapport at dette skyldes at man er blitt flinkere til å melde tilfeller av selvmord. Generalsekretær i Mental Helse, Bjørn Lydersen, tror ikke forklaringen er så enkel.

- Dette er urovekkende. Hadde vi sett en lignende utvikling i andre deler av helsetjenesten, ville alarmen gått forlengst. En så stor økning i antall meldte selvmord burde i det minste resultert i mer forskning, sier Lydersen.

Også Lars Mehlum, professor ved Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging, mener at en slik økning er bekymringsverdig. (...)

Påvist svikt
I 2009 undersøkte Helsetilsynet 174 selvmordssaker i psykisk helsevern som skjedde i årene 2005 og 2006. Det ble avdekket brudd i en av tre undersøkte saker. Tilsvarende undersøkelser er ikke gjort i ettertid, men Norsk Pasientskadeerstatning (NPE) har sett på saker fra perioden 2001–2009, hvor NPE har gitt medhold. «Mari»s pårørende meldte hennes sak til NPE og fikk medhold.

Det samme fikk etterlatte i 54 andre, lignende saker i den samme perioden. De fikk erstatning fordi NPE mente at det kunne påvises mangelfull oppfølging eller sikring, mangelfullt tilsyn eller svikt i vurderingen av selvmordsfare. Det betyr at i nesten halvparten av sakene der det er gitt medhold i psykisk helsevern, dreier seg om selvmord. Tilsammen utgjør det en av ti meldte selvmord i samme periode. (...)

Sviktende helsehjelp førte til selvmord
aftenposten.no 14.1.2011
Fra 2001 til 2009 har Norsk Pasientskadeerstatning betalt ut over 83 millioner kroner i tilsammen 168 saker som gjelder psykisk helsevern. Tilsammen er 596 saker behandlet. Nesten halvparten av sakene hvor det ble gitt medhold, dreier seg om selvmord eller selvmordsforsøk. Gjennomgangen Norsk Pasientskadeerstatning har gjort, viser at 55 selvmord og 22 selvmordsforsøk skyldes svikt ved helsehjelpen. (NTB)

Gir helsevesenet skylda for 55 selvmord
dagbladet.no 12.1.2011
Norsk Pasientskadeerstatning (NPE) har betalt ut millioner i erstatning etter selvmord som kunne vært unngått.

(Dagbladet): I perioden 2001 til 2009 har Norsk pasientskadeerstatning (NPE) behandlet 596 saker innenfor psykisk helsevern. Av disse er det gitt 168 medhold, og det er utbetalt over 83 millioner kroner til pasienter og pårørende etter svikt i ytelse av helsehjelp.

Nær halvparten av sakene der det er gitt medhold dreier seg om selvmord eller selvmordsforsøk. Medholdsandelen er høyere for selvmord og selvmordsforsøk enn for alle andre typer skader innen psykisk helsevern. (...)

- Militærets økte bruk av legemidler kritiseres

Military’s increased use of medications under fire (Militærets økte bruk av legemidler kritiseres)
spokesman.com 8.4.2012
U.S. Air Force pilot Patrick Burke’s day started in the cockpit of a B-1B bomber near the Persian Gulf and proceeded across nine time zones as he ferried the aircraft home to South Dakota.

Every four hours during the 19-hour flight, Burke swallowed a tablet of Dexedrine, the prescribed amphetamine known as “go pills.” After landing, he went out for dinner and drinks with a fellow crewman. They were driving back to Ellsworth Air Force Base when Burke began striking his friend in the head.
“Jack Bauer told me this was going to happen – you guys are trying to kidnap me!” he yelled, as if he were a character in the TV show “24.”

When the woman giving them a lift pulled the car over, Burke leaped on her and wrestled her to the ground. “Me and my platoon are looking for terrorists,” he told her before grabbing her keys, driving away and crashing into a guardrail.

Burke was charged with auto theft, drunken driving and two counts of assault. But in October, a court-martial judge found the young lieutenant not guilty “by reason of lack of mental responsibility” – the almost unprecedented equivalent, at least in modern-day military courts, of an insanity acquittal.

Four military psychiatrists concluded Burke suffered from “polysubstance-induced delirium” brought on by alcohol, lack of sleep and the 40 milligrams of Dexedrine he was issued by the Air Force.

In a small but growing number of cases across the nation, lawyers are blaming the U.S. military’s heavy use of psychotropic drugs for their clients’ aberrant behavior and related health problems. Such defenses have rarely gained traction in military or civilian courtrooms, but Burke’s case provides the first important indication that military psychiatrists and court-martial judges are not blind to what can happen when troops go to work medicated. (...)

Suicides Rose By 80% In US Army, 2004-2008 (Antall selvmord økte med 80 % i den amerikanske hæren i perioden 2004 - 2008)
medicalnewstoday.com 8.3.2012
According to a study conducted by US Army Public Health Command, the number of suicides committed among US army personnel increased 80% between 2004 and 2008. The study is published online in Injury and Prevention.

The researchers explain that approximately 40% of these suicides might be linked to military events after the United States became involved in Iraq.

Starting In 2003, a considerable number of US troops were deployed to Iraq. The US is currently involved in military operations in Afghanistan. (...)

Suicides Highlight Failures of Veterans’ Support System
nytimes.com 24.3.2012
Francis Guilfoyle, a 55-year-old homeless veteran, drove his 1985 Toyota Camry to the Department of Veterans Affairs campus in Menlo Park early in the morning of Dec. 3, took a stepladder and a rope out of the car, threw the rope over a tree limb and hanged himself.

It was an hour before his body was cut down, according to the county coroner’s report.

“When I saw him, my heart just sank,” said Dennis Robinson, 51, a formerly homeless Army veteran who discovered Mr. Guilfoyle’s body. “This is supposed to be a safe place where a vet can get help. Something failed him.” (...)

- Søvnløse får selvmordstankar

Søvnlause får sjølvmordstankar
nrk.no 1.4.2009
Ny forsking syner at søvnproblem aukar risikoen for sjølvmordstankar.

Søvn viktig varsellampe
- Å vakne for tidleg eller å ha vanskar med å sovne om natta, er noko helsemyndigheitene må vere på vakt på som ein risikofaktor for sjølvmord - sjølv når pasienten ikkje har ein psykiatrisk diagnose, seier Marcin Wojnar ved universitetet i Michigan som leia forskingsarbeidet.

5700 amerikanske kvinner og menn var med i forsøket, og ein tredel av forsøkspersonane rapporterte om søvnvanskar.

Forskarane justerte tala utifrå faktorar som psykisk helsetilstand, rusmiddelmisbruk og sosiale utfordringar.

Resultata synte at det å vakne minst to timar tidlegare enn ønskjeleg, var den mest konsistente koplinga til sjølvmordstankar.

Blant dei som sleit med dette, hadde dobbelt så mange hatt suicidale tankar eller sjølvmordsplanar, og nesten tre gongar så mange hadde prøvd å ta sitt eige liv. (...)

(Anm: Antidepressiva (REM-søvn). (mintankesmie.no).)

Suicide risk higher for people who have trouble sleeping
guardian.co.uk 1.4.2009
Researchers in US and Poland find clear link between sleep problems and suicidal feelings

People with sleep problems are more likely to try to commit suicide – or to think about it – than those who regularly get a good night's rest, according to a new study.

Lack of sleep is frequently associated with depression and other mental disorders, but it has not often been studied as a possible reason for people feeling suicidal, say psychiatrists at the World Psychiatric Association's international congress today. (...)

Sleep problems linked to suicide
bbc.co.uk 31.3.2009
The reason for the link is unclear

Adults who suffer chronic sleep problems may be more likely to try to commit suicide, US research suggests.

Doctors are being warned to be vigilant if a patient reports disturbed sleep - even if they have no history of mental health problems.

The more types of sleep disturbances people had, the more likely they were to have thoughts of killing themselves, or actually try to do so.

The study will be presented at a World Psychiatric Association meeting. (...)

Insomnia Linked to Suicidal Thoughts, Attempts
healthfinder.gov 1.4.2009
But researchers say it's not clear if one causes the other.

(SOURCES: Marcin Wojnar, M.D., Ph.D., Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Alan Berman, executive director, American Association of Suicidology, Washington D.C.; April 1, 2009, presentation, World Psychiatric Association International Congress on Treatments in Psychiatry, Florence, Italy)

WEDNESDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- New research provides more evidence of a link between sleeplessness and suicidal thoughts or attempts, although it's not clear whether insomnia actually makes people want to kill themselves.

Still, the findings suggest that "persistent sleep problems might be an important contributor to suicidal thinking," said study author Dr. Marcin Wojnar, a research fellow at the University of Michigan and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Warsaw in Poland. (...)

- Søvnløse netter linket til høyt blodtrykk

Sleepless Nights Linked to High Blood Pressure (Søvnløse netter linket til høyt blodtrykk)
Ivanhoe.com 3.4.2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – People who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep may be putting themselves at risk for high blood pressure.

In a new study conducted among more than 1,700 men and women who underwent overnight sleep tests, Pennsylvania researchers found the combination of insomnia and a sleep duration of under five hours a night upped the chances a person would have high blood pressure by more than 500 percent when compared to people without insomnia who sleep for more than six hours a night.

People who reported insomnia and slept for five to six hours a night had a 350 percent increased risk.

The authors believe these are strong findings because sleep duration was measured objectively in the sleep laboratory. Other studies have relied on people’s own assessment of how long they slept, which may not reflect actual hours spent in slumber. (...)

Diverse aktører som hevder nyere antidepressiva reduserer antall selvmord i Norge med opptil 150 pr. år

Selvmord kan forebygges
lmi.no 13.2.2007 (Legemiddelindustriforeningen (LMI))
Etter at nye medikamenter mot depresjon kom, sank antall selvmord med opptil 150 pr. år skriver psykiater Jørgen G. Bramness og psykolog Fredrik A. Walby i Aftenposten. (...)

Behandling av depresjoner forebygger selvmord
fhi.no 9.2.2007 (Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt (FHI))
En ny studie fra Folkehelseinstituttet viser at selvmordfrekvensen i Norge gikk ned samtidig som nyere antidepressiver kom på markedet. Dette bekrefter funn som er gjort flere ganger før i forskjellige land. To ting er nye i denne undersøkelsen: Effekten gjelder ikke bare SSRI-preparatene, men alle nyere antidepressiver og effekten var synlig de første årene etter at midlene ble introdusert. (...)

Forskerne Jørgen G. Bramness ved Folkehelseinstituttet og Fredrik A. Walby ved Senter for selvmordsforskning og forebygging ved Universitetet i Oslo, har nylig publisert en undersøkelse i Journal of Affective Disorder. (...)

Resultatene for hele landet under ett, viste en sammenheng mellom salgsutviklingen av antidepressiver og utviklingen i selvmordshyppighet. På begynnelsen av 1990-tallet var økning i salg av antidepressiver assosiert med en nedgang i antall selvmord på ca. 150 pr. år. (...)

Ut fra dette resultatet er det likevel mulig å si at introduksjonen av de nye antidepressivene hadde en folkehelsegevinst.

Lenke til kronikk i Aftenposten 12.02.2007 (...)

Antidepressiver kan forebygge selvmord
helserevyen.no 12.2.2007
Selvmordfrekvensen i Norge gikk ned samtidig som nyere antidepressiver kom på markedet. Rundt 150 liv kan være reddet per år.

Det viser forskningsrapporten The sales of antidepressants and suicide rates in Norway and its counties 1980–2004, som ble publisert i Journal of Affective Disorder i midten av januar. (...)

Selvmord kan forebygges
aftenposten.no 12.2.2007
I årene etter at nye medikamenter mot depresjon kom på markedet, sank antall selvmord med opptil 150 pr. år. (...)

På 1990-tallet fikk vi en rekke nye antidepressiver i Norge. Før dette var depresjon en klart underbehandlet sykdom, men med SSRI-preparatene og andre nye antidepressiver opplevde norske leger å få et redskap i kampen mot lidelsen. Sammen med medikamentene kom økt forståelse for viktigheten av å oppdage og behandle depresjoner. Dette ble formidlet av fagfolk og legemiddelindustri. Både leger og pasienter fikk større behandlingsoptimisme i en situasjon som oftest var kjennetegnet av det motsatte. (...)

Øker SSRI risikoen for suicidal adferd?
dagensmedisin.no 8.2.2007
- Som hovedregel vil SSRI og andre antidepressiva redusere suicidaltanker, men hos noen kan de tvert imot fremprovosere slike tanker, kanskje særlig hos barn og unge, skriver Odd Lingjærde.

(...) Noen konklusjoner
Det er problematisk å trekke bastante konklusjoner ut fra den omfattende litteraturen om SSRI og andre antidepressivas mulige fremprovosering av suicidal adferd. (...)

- Øket risiko for selvmord og hjerteinfarkt umiddelbart etter beskjed om kreft

Ökad risk för självmord och hjärtinfarkt direkt efter cancerbesked
ki.se 5.4.2012
[PRESSMEDDELANDE 2012-04-05] Personer som diagnostiserats med cancer löper en kraftigt ökad risk för självmord och död i hjärtkärlsjukdom direkt efter att de fått sjukdomsbeskedet. Det visar en ny studie från Karolinska Institutet som publicerats i den ansedda vetenskapstidskriften New England Journal of Medicine.

Patienter som diagnostiseras och tvingas leva med cancer under lång tid drabbas inte sällan av psykiska besvär till följd av den svåra upplevelsen. Tidigare studier har visat att dessa patienter löper ökad risk för både självmord och hjärtkärlssjukdom, något som man i första hand har tolkat som ett resultat av den emotionella börda det innebär att leva med en dödlig sjukdom eller på den ofta påfrestande cancerbehandlingen. Nyligen publicerade data från prostatacancerpatienter antyder dock att cancerbeskedet i sig kan medföra en markant ökad risk för stressrelaterad sjukdom och död.

I den nu aktuella studien i New England Journal of Medicine har en grupp forskare på Karolinska Institutet, Örebro universitet och Islands universitet följt över 6 miljoner svenskar, varav 500 000 drabbats av cancer, för att undersöka om risken för självmord och död i hjärtkärlsjukdom ökar direkt efter cancerdiagnosen. Studien är baserad på de svenska hälso- och sjukvårdsregistren och inkluderar personer som drabbats av cancer mellan 1991 och 2006.

Totalt sett begick bara en liten andel av cancerpatienterna självmord direkt efter att de fått beskedet om sjukdomen. Men jämfört med personer som inte hade cancer uppvisade cancerpatienterna tolv gånger så hög risk för självmord under den första veckan efter diagnosen. På liknande sätt noterades en sex gånger högre risk att dö i hjärtkärlsjukdom under den första veckan efter cancerbeskedet, och en trefaldigt ökad risk under den första månaden. Både risken för självmord och för hjärtkärldöd sjönk sedan kraftigt under det första året. Mest markant var riskökningen vid cancerformer med sämre prognos, som till exempel lung- och bukspottkörtelcancer och minst för hudcancer. (...)

(Anm: Suicide and Cardiovascular Death after a Cancer Diagnosis. N Engl J Med 2012; 366:1310-1318 (April 5).)

- Selvmordsrater som pr-verktøy (eksperter stiller spørsmål ved selvmordsrater hos ungdommer)

Pharma Pill Pushers Use Suicide Ruse - Again (Legemiddelpushere bruker selvmordsknep - igjen)
lawyersandsettlements.com 4.6.2009
Nearly every year, researchers on drug company payrolls publish some ridiculous study with claims that more people may be dying from suicide due to a black box warning about an increased risk of suicide in young people on the labels of SSRI and SNRI antidepressants as a ruse to increase sales of drugs.

Judging from a new study out this month, with a June 2, 2009 headline on WebMD stating: “Are Antidepressant Warnings Causing Harm?”, apparently this year is no exception even though in the US there were 164.2 million prescriptions dispensed for antidepressants in 2008, compared to 143 million in 2004, according to IMS Health, a healthcare information company.

The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, claims there has been a drastic drop in the diagnosis of depression in adults and kids. (...)

No Long-Term Harm From Short-Term Placebo in Adolescent Depression Trials
medpagetoday.com 15.1.2009
DALLAS, Jan. 15 -- Delaying active therapy for teens with major depression didn't impair long-term outcomes in the context of a clinical trial.

Patients on placebo for 12 weeks before switching to antidepressants or cognitive behavioral therapy showed no difference in 36-week response rate (82% versus 83%) compared with those on active treatment from the start of a large randomized trial, said Betsy D. Kennard, Psy.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and colleagues.

The 12-week delay in active therapy also had little impact on rates of suicidal events and symptom worsening, the researchers reported online in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (...)

SUICIDE UPTICK: U.S. RATE CLIMBING
SCIAM.COM/BLOG/60-SECOND 21.10.2008
(...) "While it would be straightforward to attribute the results to a rise in so-called mid-life crises, recent studies find that middle age is mostly a time of relative security and emotional wellbeing," study author Susan Baker said in a statement. The study, she added, didn't explore why more middle-aged Americans were taking their lives. (...)

The study didn't address whether an increase in anti-depressant prescriptions -- from 154 million prescriptions in 2002 to nearly 170 million in 2005 -- may have contributed to the rise in suicides. The Food and Drug Administration has linked anti-depressant drugs to increased suicidal behavior in teens and young adults. (...)

(Anm: The American Journal of Preventive Medicine

U.S. suicide rate is up
latimes.com 21.10.2008
It's climbed steadily since 1999. The most alarming increase is among middle-age adults: nearly 16%.

After falling for more than a decade, the U.S. suicide rate has climbed steadily since 1999, driven by an alarming increase among middle-age adults, researchers said Monday.

A new six-year analysis in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that the U.S. suicide rate rose to 11 per 100,000 people in 2005, from 10.5 per 100,000 in 1999, an increase of just under 5%. (...)

As Antidepressant Sales Sink Pharma Attacks FDA's Black Boxes
opednews.com 14.9.2008
As Antidepressant Sales Sink Pharma Attacks FDA's Black Boxes

In April, Dr. Catherine DeAngelis, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), wrote that pharma's influence on medicine "is so blatant now you'd have to be deaf, blind and dumb not to see it," adding, "We should all get together and say, 'Enough!'"

But an article in the September 3 JAMA finds her not taking her own medicine. (...)

Meanwhile pharma's aggressive Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI) stands with the black box theory and awaits the next move from the "anti-SSRI mafia."

"You can bet it'll be vitriolic pharma-bashing with a heaping measure of junk science," warns CMPI president Peter Pitts. (...)

Teen Suicide Rates Falling
telegraph.co.uk 5.9.2008
Medical Researchers say the number of teen suicides across the nation are falling.

One reason for the decline may be recent drug scares deterring teens from using antidepressants. Black box warnings from the FDA have lead to the decline of teens using antidepressants following reports of the drugs increasing suicidal tendencies.

While teen suicide rates are on the decline, experts say they're still disturbingly high. Mesa County's teen suicide rates have also steadlidly decreased, but experts say it's still to early to know why. Linwood says in some instances antidepressants can be more helpful than harmful. Supporters of the drugs say their benefits, including treating depression that can lead to suicide, outweigh their risks. (...)

Dutch academics criticise suicide claims made in American psychiatry journal
BMJ 2008;336:112 (19 January)
Claims in an influential scientific journal of a link between a leap in suicides among young people in the Netherlands and a fall in prescriptions for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been condemned in the Netherlands as "astonishing" and "misleading." (...)

Dr Bijl says the paper’s conclusions were "astonishing" and "cannot be made from the data available." He believes the abstract in the American Journal of Psychiatry should have mentioned that the data lay outside the limit of statistical significance.

"The numbers for the Netherlands are so small that you have to be very, very careful before you make a statement," he said. In an issue as important as childhood suicide he feels the authors were "reckless."

Dr Bijl has raised his concerns with the American Journal of Psychiatry, which is investigating the matter. (...)

The Black Box Warning: Decreased Prescriptions and Increased Youth Suicide?
Am J Psychiatry 164:1907 (December 2007)
(...) In the editorial accompanying the article, James F. Leckman, M.D., and Robert A. King, M.D., noted that the authors cited several studies that agreed with their position, but no studies that reported neutral or opposite findings (3). There is no mention of the fact that the suicide rate was already declining before SSRIs were introduced. The 2004 suicide figures were compared simplistically with the previous year, rather than examining the change in trends over several years. The y axes were contracted to make trends appear more impressive and no data tables were provided, and thus it is difficult for readers to make their own calculations. (...)

SSRI Prescriptions and the Rate of Suicide
Am J Psychiatry 164:1907-a-1908 (December 2007)
(...) We feel that it is risky to draw conclusions from limited ecologic analyses of isolated year-to-year fluctuations in antidepressant prescriptions and suicides. One promising epidemiological approach involves examining the associations between trends in psychotropic medication use and suicide over time across a large number of small geographic regions. Until the results of more detailed analyses are known, prudence dictates deferring judgment concerning the public health effects of the FDA warnings. (...)

Färre barn behandlas med SSRI, fler begår självmord
Isacsson G, Bejerot S, Jarbin H.
Läkartidningen 2007;104(43):3180-81
Oroväckande trend bland barn och unga i USA (...)

Självmord bland barn och unga (10–24 år) ökade dramatiskt (8 procent) under
2004, enligt officiell amerikansk statistik som nyligen offentliggjorts. Denna
utveckling är särskilt anmärkningsvärd mot bakgrund av att antalet självmord i
åldersgruppen hade minskat med 28 procent under perioden 1990–2003. Utvecklingen i USA, med betydligt större population, kan avslöja trender som i
Sverige skulle ta åratal att upptäcka. (...)

För snabb reaktion
Enligt vår uppfattning var dock säkerhetsåtgärderna baserade för lite på en allsidig vetenskaplig värdering och för mycket på den uppståndelse som åstadkoms av emotionellt laddade fallrapporter, ideologiskt präglade »konsumentorganisationer«, uttalat antipsykiatriska organisationer,
sekter, motståndare till vinstdriven läkemedelsindustri etc. Sannolikt
fanns också ytterligare krafter inblandade, eftersom rättsprocesser mot läkemedelsindustrin kunde tänkas inbringa inkomster till både jurister och enskilda. (...)

I en kritisk debattartikel i Läkartidningen 2005 skrev vi att hypotetiska risker för biverkningar av antidepressiva måste vägas mot väl etablerade risker
förknippade med utebliven behandling. Beaktat att depression är främsta orsaken till självmord, även bland barn och unga, medför sannolikt utebliven behandling den större risken för självmord [3]. Den aktuella utvecklingen tyder på att vi sannolikt hade rätt. (...)

Suicide rates as a public relations tool (Selvmordsrater som pr-verktøy)
By Alison Bass
boston.com 24.9.2007
EARLIER THIS MONTH, major newspapers reported the alarming news that suicides among young people were on the rise because of a precipitous drop in the use of antidepressants. This news was based on a study in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, which concluded that physicians had been scared away from prescribing antidepressants because of the Food and Drug Administration's decision in October 2004 to put black box warnings on the pediatric use of these drugs. The FDA mandated the warnings after finding an increased risk in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents taking antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa.

In the wake of the study, several psychiatrists called for the black box warnings to be retracted. "It's time for the agency's warnings to be modified," opined Dr. David Schaffer, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

News sources have since exposed a big hole in the journal's argument. Several experts quoted in The New York Times and The Boston Globe pointed out that while there was indeed an upturn in suicide rates among youths (an increase of 14 percent, or a total of 252 more deaths among youths under 19 between 2003 and 2004), the number of prescriptions for antidepressants in the same age group remained basically unchanged between 2003 and 2004.

According to data presented in the American Journal of Psychiatry study, prescription rates for minors did not drop sharply until a year later (between 2004 and 2005). Since suicide rates for 2005 are not yet available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence of a connection between variations in youth suicide rates and antidepressant prescription usage. Furthermore, experts say that trends in suicide rates, like any epidemiological data, have to be looked at over the long term and a one-year variation in rates could be a statistical artifact, or mean something else entirely.

So what's going on here? Why are some in the psychiatric community, despite lack of evidence, working to convince the American public that the FDA may have erred in putting the most serious kind of warning possible on the use of these drugs in young people? In May, the FDA, after finding the same increased risk of suicidal behaviors among young adults taking the class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), extended the black box warnings to young adults. (...)

But there is another factor to consider: Who stands to benefit from the latest alarm about an apparent upturn in youth suicide rates? The sharp drop in the sale of SSRIs since 2004 has put a big dent in their manufacturers' bottom line.

These companies have an enormous stake in reversing the current FDA warnings. That might explain why Pfizer (the maker of Zoloft) contributed $30,000 to cover the cost of collecting data for the American Journal of Psychiatry study, which was also funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. It's also worth noting that the two lead authors of the paper have disclosed financial conflicts of interest: Columbia professor of psychiatry Dr. John Mann has been a paid consultant to at least two SSRI makers, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (the maker of Paxil), and Robert Gibbons has served as an expert witness for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (the maker of Effexor, another SSRI). (...)

Antidepressant Prescriptions: The Real Trend
pharmalot.com 18.9.2007
Two weeks ago, the controversy over antidepressants and Black Box warnings for suicides re-emerged after yet another study in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggested that prescriptions fells due to the publicity given the issue three years ago. Then, CDC data was released showing a rise in suicide among youngsters in 2004 - before the warnings actually showed up on labeling. (...)

Scrips for male and female youngsters between 10 and 19 years old were rising between 2001 and 2003, although the rate of growth was actually slowing. Then, 2004 was relatively flat. There was a dramatic drop in 2005, but prescriptions appeared to have leveled off again in 2006. Look at the chart and see for yourself. (...)

So what are the implications? A drop is a drop. But the hand-wringing by the APA may be overwrought. For the moment, the downturn in scrips has stopped. And there’s nothing to suggest scrips aren’t being written. Instead, what the data may indicate is that, perhaps, the publicity has served to remind some docs that antidepressant scrips shouldn’t be written wily-nily. (...)

Suicide Scares Show There's Money in Dosing Children for Pharma
opednews.com 17.9.2007
Long before the New York Times reported in September that youth suicides were up 8% from 2003 to 2004 and experts indict black box warnings on antidepressants which the FDA imposed in 2004, pharma has been trying to plant a favorable antidepressants/suicide story. (...)

Did we get it all wrong about SSRIs and youth suicide?
National Review of Medicine.2007;4(16) (SEPTEMBER 30)
New data shows suicide spike after warnings.

Kids undertreated (...)

Experts Question Study on Youth Suicide Rates
depression.about.com 14.9.2007
Previously we reported about two studies which found an increase in youth suicide following a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated warning label regarding the risk of suicidal thoughts in children taking SSRI antidepressants. Outside experts who took a look at one of the studies, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, say the data do not support the authors' conclusion that the warning label may have scared parents away from treatment, thus leading to more suicide. (...)

In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Robert D. Gibbons, lead author of the study, acknowledged that their data did not support a causal link. “We really need to see the 2005 numbers on suicide to see what happened,” he said. Dr. Gibbons defended his paper, however, saying “this study was suggestive, that’s what we’re saying.”

It looks like we will have to wait for further research to find out the real effect of the warning label. (...)

Experts Question Study on Youth Suicide Rates (Eksperter stiller spørsmål ved selvmordsrater hos ungdommer)
nytimes.com 14.9.2007
Last week, leading psychiatric researchers linked a 2004 increase in the suicide rate for children and adolescents to a warning by the Food and Drug Administration about the use of antidepressants in minors. The F.D.A. warning, the researchers suggested, might have resulted in severely depressed teenagers going without needed treatment.

But the data in the study, which was published in The American Journal of Psychiatry and received widespread publicity, do not support that explanation, outside experts say.

While suicide rates for Americans ages 19 and under rose 14 percent in 2004, the number of prescriptions for antidepressants in that group was basically unchanged and did not drop substantially, according to data from the study. Prescription rates for minors did fall sharply a year later, but the suicide rates for 2005 are not yet available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of a statistically significant association between suicide rates and prescription rates provided in the paper” for the years after the F.D.A. warnings, said Thomas R. Ten Have, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania.

In the report published last week, the authors analyzed data on suicides and antidepressant use over several years in the United States and the Netherlands. They argued that drug regulators may have created a larger problem by requiring pharmaceutical companies to place warnings on antidepressants, scaring away patients and doctors. The F.D.A. warning label says that a potential side effect in young people is an increase in suicidal thoughts and behavior.

“The most plausible explanation is a cause and effect relationship: prescription rates change, therefore suicides change,” said Dr. J. John Mann, a psychiatrist at Columbia University and a co-author of the study.

But Dr. Ten Have and other experts, while noting that it may still turn out that a reduction in prescriptions is leading to increased suicides among young people, said that the new study neither proved nor disproved this. Instead, some experts say, the study illustrates why suicide trends are so difficult to understand — and why this debate has been so polarizing and confusing.

In an interview, Robert D. Gibbons, a professor of biostatistics and psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the lead author of the journal article, acknowledged that the data from the United States that he and his colleagues analyzed did not support a causal link between prescription rates and suicide in 2004. “We really need to see the 2005 numbers on suicide to see what happened,” he said. (...)

But many uncertainties remain. While the suicide rate for adolescents has fallen over the last decade, it has remained largely unchanged for the overall population, though prescriptions for psychiatric medicines have risen sharply in all age groups. Adjusted for the demographic changes, about 11 Americans per 100,000 killed themselves in 2004, the same as in 1994. (...)

Suicide Rises in Youth; Antidepressant Debate Looms
nytimes.com 7.9.2007
In a finding that is likely to revive a debate of many years about the safety of drugs prescribed for depression, health officials reported yesterday that the rate of suicide in Americans ages 10 to 24 increased 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, the largest jump in more than 15 years. (...)

Dr. Thomas Laughren, director of the division of psychiatry products at the F.D.A., said in a conference call with reporters that the agency would need to see more data over time, linking declines in prescriptions to suicide risk before revisiting any of its decisions. In January, after a lengthy review of drug trial data, an F.D.A. panel voted to extend the “blackbox” warning to include adults up to age 24 — and also to include cautions on the labels that untreated depression was a risk factor for suicide.

“You simply cannot reach causal conclusions” from the new C.D.C. data, Dr. Laughren said. (...)

APA: SSRIs More Likely in Suicides than in Other Young Deaths (SSRIer mer sannsynlig ved selvmord enn i andre dødsfall hos unge)
medpagetoday.com 25.5.2007
SAN DIEGO, May 25 -- Young suicide victims were significantly more likely to have SSRIs in their bloodstream than were young homicide or accident victims, investigators reported here. (...)

In an analysis of "unnatural" deaths recorded by the Virginia Medical Examiner's Office for 1987 through 2003, Antony Fernandez, M.D., and colleagues, found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine appeared significantly more often in post-mortem toxicology of suicides than of accident or murder victims. (...)

APA: SSRIs More Likely in Suicides than in Other Young Deaths
psychiatrictimes.com 25.5.2007
SAN DIEGO, May 25 -- Young suicide victims were significantly more likely to have SSRIs in their bloodstream than were young homicide or accident victims, investigators reported here. (...)

F.D.A. Expands Suicide Warning on Drugs
nytimes.com 3.5.2007
The Food and Drug Administration ordered drug makers yesterday to add warnings to antidepressant medications, saying the drugs increase the risk of suicidal thinking or behavior in some young adults.

The drug labels, which have included similar warnings for adolescents and children since 2005, will now apply to people younger than 25. (...)

FDA Seeks Antidepressant Suicide Warning
forbes.com 2.5.2007
By ANDREW BRIDGES 05.02.07, 6:00 PM ET
Associated Press Young adults face an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior when they first begin taking antidepressants and should be warned about the danger, federal health officials said Wednesday. (...)

Warnings Of Increased Suicide Risk Didn't Dampen Antidepressant Prescriptions
medicalnewstoday.com 1.3.2007
"Black box" warnings on labels of certain antidepressants about possible increased suicide risk had no effect on the amounts of the medications prescribed in North America. (...)

FDA Panel Seeks to Balance Risks in Warnings for Antidepressants
JAMA. 2007;297:573-574.
Newer generation antidepressants should carry a broader warning of an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in not only children and adolescents, but also young adults, recommended a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee after considering new data from the agency. (...)

The committee met December 13 and voted 6 to 2 in favor of extending the existing black box warnings, although members also agreed that the warning should address the benefits of treatment and the risks associated with declining treatment, said Daniel S. Pine, MD, acting chair of the committee and chief of child and adolescent research at the National Institute of Mental Health. The FDA has yet to decide whether to accept the recommendations, but typically the agency does follow its committees' advice. (...)

- Helsevesenet innrapporterer ikke alle selvmord

Antall innmeldte selvmord nær firedoblet
vg.no 12.1.2011
Antall selvmord som ble innrapportert fra psykisk helsevern gikk opp fra 31 i 2001 til 118 i 2009. Helsetilsynet tror dette skyldes bedre rapportering, men at det fortsatt kan være mørketall.

Økningen i rapporterte selvmord kommer fram i en rapport hvor Helsetilsynet tar for seg uønskede hendelser i psykisk helsevern gjennom ni år.

Tilsynet tar den kraftige økningen som et tegn på at psykisk helsevern er blitt bedre til å melde inn selvmord. Samtidig pekes det på at det er vanskelig å anslå hvor stor underrapporteringen er. (...)

Meldesentralen – meldinger om uønskede hendelser rapportert fra psykisk helsevern
helsetilsynet.no 12.1.2011
Rapport fra Helsetilsynet 1/2011
Denne rapporten beskriver meldinger om uønskede hendelser som har skjedd pasienter under behandling i psykisk helsevern, og som har vært rapportert til tilsynsmyndigheten i tidsperioden 2001-2009: (...)

•Nesten halvparten (45 prosent) av meldingene fra psykisk helsevern (2008-2009) gjelder unaturlig dødsfall. De fleste meldingene om unaturlig dødsfall gjelder tilfeller av selvmord eller overdose.

•Litt over halvparten av meldingene gjelder kvinnelige pasienter. To tredeler av meldingene gjelder pasienter som er mellom 16 og 44 år gamle. (...)

Last ned rapporten (pdf)
Summary in English
Čoahkkáigeassu (...)

3.3 Mange meldinger fra psykisk helsevern gjelder selvmord ved henging og kvelning
Det er rapportert selvmord og selvmordsforsøk ved blant annet henging og kvelning, gift (narkotika, alkohol, medikamenter og andre typer gift), sprang fra høyt sted og drukning (se tabell 3).

I mange meldte tilfeller av selvmord er dødsmåten ukjent. Den hyppigste kjente dødsmåten ved selvmord var henging og kvelning (28 prosent av meldinger om selvmord). Denne andelen er høyere enn andelen for alle tilfeller av selvmord i Norge. I følge Statistisk sentralbyrås dødsårsaksstatistikk, var ti prosent
av alle dødsfall på grunn av selvmord i 2008 ved henging og kvelning3. Den nest hyppigste dødsmåten i meldinger om selvmord fra psykisk helsevern er gift. Med tanke på det selvmordsforebyggende arbeidet i psykisk helsevern, er denne informasjonen av betydning.

3.4 Antall meldinger om selvmord har økt, men hvor stor er underrapportering?
Antall meldinger om selvmord har økt fra 31 i 2001 til 118 i 2009 (se tabell 4). Denne økningen tyder på at psykisk helsevern er blitt bedre til å melde tilfeller
av selvmord.
Men vi vet ikke hvor stor underrapporteringen er. Var det noen tilfeller av selvmord som ikke ble rapportert, og i så fall hvor mange? Som nevnt tidligere,
skal alle tilfeller av selvmord for pasienter som er under behandling i psykisk helsevern rapporteres til Helsetilsynet i fylket. Disse hendelsene må også meldes til politiet.

I 2008 skjedde det 96 tilfeller av selvmord blant pasienter under behandling i psykisk helsevern som ble rapportert til Meldesentralen. I følge SSBs dødsårsaksstatistikk var det 505 dødsfall på grunn av selvmord i 2008.

Det er vanskelig å bruke disse tallene for å estimere underrapportering fordi:

• Vi vet ikke hvor mange tilfeller av selvmord som gjelder personer under behandling i psykisk helsevern.

• Av pasienter under behandling er det til enhver tid mange pasienter som er på permisjon.

• Mange pasienter får poliklinisk behandling, og de kan ha lange opphold mellom konsultasjonene. Hvis de begår selvmord, er det ikke alltid virksomheten får vite om det, og det kan være usikkerhet om hendelsen er meldepliktig eller ikke.

• Resultatet av politietterforskning og obduksjon er ikke alltid tilgjengelig når meldingen skrives. Dette betyr at meldinger som mangler informasjon om dødsårsaken kan gjelde tilfeller av selvmord, uten at dette er kjent for melderen. (...)

3.6 Nesten halvparten av meldingene gjelder unaturlig dødsfall
Som nevnt, skal alle dødsfall som skyldes selvmord mens en pasient er under psykisk helsevern meldes. Resultatet av dette er at mange meldinger fra psykisk helsevern er meldinger om unaturlig dødsfall.

Nesten halvparten av meldingene som ble registrert i 2008 og 2009 var meldinger om unaturlig dødsfall (313 meldinger av 698: 45 prosent). Andel meldinger om unaturlig dødsfall har stadig økt de siste årene, fra 16 prosent i 2001 til 45 prosent i 2008–2009 (se tabell 4 og figur 4).

De fleste meldingene om unaturlig dødsfall er tilfeller av selvpåførte skader: selvmord eller overdose (692 av 854: 81 prosent av meldinger om dødsfall). Det er få meldinger om unaturlig dødsfall på grunn av skader som ikke var selvpåførte: kun 54 tilfeller (6 prosent av alle meldinger om unaturlig dødsfall). Over halvparten av disse (29 meldinger) var på grunn av somatisk sykdom (se tabell 2). (...)

Sjukvården anmäler inte alla självmord
sr.se 8.10.2007
Minst vart tredje självmord bland patienter anmäls aldrig till Socialstyrelsen, trots att sjukvården har en skyldighet att anmäla självmord i anknytning till vården. Det visar Ekots granskning, som är den första undersökningen sedan sjukvården blev skyldig att anmäla alla självmord enligt lex Maria. (...)

Ingemar Köhler är vice ordförande för Spes, en organisation för anhöriga och närstående till någon tagit sitt liv.

– Jag tycker rent ut sagt att det är för djävligt. Eftersom det inte bara är jag, utan så många med mig, som inte har fått höra något, säger Ingemar Köhler.

– Man måste ju fundera på om det görs en anmälan överhuvudtaget. Om det görs en anmälan, vad händer med den? Varför får man så sällan eller aldrig reda på vad som står i svaret från Socialstyrelsen? (...)

Anmälningsplikt enligt lex Maria
Sedan början av förra året är sjukvården skyldig att anmäla självmord bland patienter enligt lex Maria. Det innebär att om en patient begår självmord under eller upp till en månad efter kontakt med vården ska vårdpersonalen anmäla sig själv till Socialstyrelsen. (...)

Varför tror du att allt inte kommer fram?
– Jag tror allvarligt talat att många är rädda att de har gjort fel.
Under förra året anmäldes 362 självmord enligt lex Maria. Men totalt skedde minst 559 självmord i anslutning till vården under samma period.
Räknar man dessutom in så kallade osäkra självmord, där obduktionen visat att det troligen handlar om ett självmord är siffran 685, vilket innebär att nästan hälften av självmorden av patienter, 47 procent, inte anmälts. (...)

Önskar nytt system
Jan Beskow är ordförande i Västsvenska nätverket för Suicidprevention och har tidigare jobbat som läkare inom psykiatrin. Han vill ha ett nytt system, där utomstående experter analyserar vad som gått fel i vården när någon tar sitt liv.

– Så länge de egna organisationerna gör utredningarna så har man skygglappar och det är djup mänskligt. Det visar sig att det är så på alla områden. (...)

Søvnforstyrrelser blant eldre linket til selvmord

Sleep disturbances among the elderly linked to suicide (Søvnforstyrrelser blant eldre linket til selvmord)
spiritindia.com (14.6.2007)
Sleep :: Sleep disturbances among the elderly linked to suicide
Self-reported sleep complaints among the elderly serve as a risk factor for completed suicide, according to a research abstract that will be presented Thursday at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, conducted by Rebecca Bernert of Florida State University, focused on data that were collected among 14,456 community elders over a 10-year period. During this time frame, 21 individuals died by suicide. When each suicide was matched to 20 randomly-selected controls, it was discovered that disturbances in sleep, independent of depression, predicted an increased risk for eventual de ath by suicide.

"This suggests that, as a warning sign, poor sleep quality constitutes a significant and modifiable risk factor for completed suicide," said Bernert. "Evaluating sleep among at-risk patients may therefore guide and importantly inform both clinical decision-making and suicide risk assessment." (...)

Stor stigning i selvmordsforsøg blandt børn

Stor stigning i selvmordsforsøg blandt børn
politiken.dk 28.9.2007
Nordsjællands Hospital i Hillerød oplever – som i resten af landet – en kraftig stigning i antallet af helt unge piger, der kommer til afgiftning efter selvmordsforsøg med håndkøbspiller. (...)

I år har 113 piger og tre 3 drenge under 15 år forsøgt at tage livet af sig selv med en eller flere håndfulde hovedpinepiller.

Antallet af disse selvmordsforsøg blandt børn er tredoblet siden 1996. Det viser en opgørelse, som Landspatientregisteret har lavet for Politiken. (...)

Langt de fleste er piger, og de kaldes i daglig tale Panodil-pigerne. På Nordsjællands Hospital i Hillerød er antallet næsten firedoblet på blot seks år:

»Det er skræmmende, at det er blevet hverdag for os at starte afgiftning af børn på bare tolv år«, siger Kirsten Holm, afdelingens overlæge i Hillerød. (...)

Når psykiatri blir en byrde

Når psykiatri blir en byrde
Av EINAR PLYHN, forlagssjef
aftenposten.no 23.6.2007
OVERGREP. En del etterlatte etter selvmord får behov for psykiatrisk og annen helsehjelp. Jeg gikk fullstendig ned etter å ha mistet min kone og mitt eneste barn i selvmord i løpet av et år. I møte med psykiatrien ble jeg utsatt for et terapeutisk overgrep. (...)

Han skriver videre: "Undertegnede fant det ikke hensiktsmessig å gå videre med MMPI eller SCID 2, da pasienten ble vurdert til ikke å være tjent med å bli konfrontert med en slik diagnose, undertegnede har tidligere opplevd at narsissistiske pasienter har suicidert pga. krenkelse."

Ikke bare stempler seksjonsoverlegen meg med en utrolig belastende diagnose, men han har også hindret meg innsyn i diagnosen, alt under påskudd av at det er til mitt eget beste! Josef K, hovedpersonen i Kafkas roman "Prosessen", ville umiddelbart kjent igjen tenkningen. (...)

Pasienter betaler regningen.
Hvis det på toppen av individuell svak kompetanse heller ikke finnes et tilstrekkelig kritisk faglig fellesskap rundt vurderingene til den enkelte terapeut, blir resultatet en institusjon helt uten aktive korreksjonsmekanismer. (...)

Hva gjelder min egen sak, har jeg skrevet til institusjonen jeg først var på og bedt dem slette den famøse diagnosen. Men fordi de ikke svarer, har jeg måttet henvende meg til Helsetilsynet og bedt om deres hjelp.
Der står saken i skrivende stund. (...)

- Hvorfor tar ingen ansvar for rettssikkerheten i psykiatrien?

Rettssikkerheten undergraves
EINAR PLYHN, Forlagssjef
aftenposten.no 23.12.2007
Psykiatridebatt. Norsk psykiatri krenker mange pasienter. De få som orker å klage, møter mye motstand. La meg kort omtale to av motstandsregimene som undergraver rettssikkerheten innen psykiatrien. (...)

Det er selvsagt ikke tilfeldig at nettopp de sidene som vedrører min klage manglet. Ullevål fortsetter slik å krenke min lovfestede rett til fullt innsyn i journalen. Men selv ledelsen på Ullevål synes å mene at såpass må jeg tåle.

Dessverre hjalp det ikke å løfte saken opp til Helsetilsynet. Tilsynet vegret seg nemlig for å gå inn i klagen, før det plutselig slo fast at brevet med den krenkende diagnosen rett og slett var "faglig argumentering". (...)

Fullstendig rettsløs.
Når behandlingssted og helsetilsyn legger seg til i samme seng, er det ikke mulig for noen å vinne frem med en klage. Men det er svært alvorlig når klagebehandlingen etterlater klagerne med opplevelsen av å være fullstendig rettsløse.

Hvorfor tar ingen ansvar for rettssikkerheten i psykiatrien? (...)

Selvmord - en folkehelseutfordring

Selvmord - en folkehelseutfordring
Arne Holte Avdelingsdirektør ved Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt, og professor dr. philos., Psykologisk institutt, Universitetet i Oslo.
dagbladet.no 11.9.2004
(...) Samlet har selvmordstallet siden 1994 holdt seg stabilt på 12-13 per 100 000, dvs. 550 selvmord i året. I 2002 viser tallene 11 selvmord per 100 000, dvs. nær 500 tilfeller.

Noe av denne siste nedgang kan skyldes dårligere registrering. For samtidig registrerte vi sterk økning i dødsfall uten angitt årsak. Dette skjuler trolig flere selvmord. Fortsetter forringelsen av dødsårsaksregistreringen, vil det fort lede til at vår oversikt over selvmordsutviklingen svekkes. Uten pålitelig helsestatistikk kan forebyggende tiltak ikke målrettes, liv kan unødig gå tapt og penger ødsles. (...)

Ekstrem selvmordstendens som følge av serotonin syndrom

Extreme suicidality following serotonin syndrom (Ekstrem selvmordstendens som følge av serotonin syndrom)
British Journal of psychiatry 1995;167:410
(...) Dette tilfellet tyder på at det, som et resultat av serotonin syndrome, kan ha oppstått økt sensitivitet selv ved forsiktig reintroduksjon av et legemiddel med serotonerge egenskaper (clomipramine). Selv om serotonin syndrom er sjelden forekommende, er det påkrevet at pasienter nøye følges i tiden etter at TSS er påvist”. (...) (This case suggests that, following serotonin syndrome, increased sensitivity to even cautious reinstatement of a drug with serotonergic properties (clomipramine), may occur. Although the serotonin syndrome is rare, careful study of patients in the aftermath of TSS is indicated.)

Hun gjorde gjentagende forsøk på å skade seg selv, og forsøkte å innta ulike objekter, mens hun uttalte ”Jeg føler meg så fryktelig dårlig at jeg vil dø” (...) (She made continues effort to lacerate herself and tried to ingest various objects, stating ”I feel so awful I must die”.).

(Anm: TSS: Toxic Serotonin Syndrome).

Homofile blir mobbet og banket

Homofile blir mobbet og banket
aftenposten.no 13.9.2007
Unge homofile mobbes over en lav sko. Halvparten har vært utsatt for vold og trusler. (...)

Det er først og fremst jevnaldrende som utøver volden.

- Unge homofile er fortsatt en utsatt minoritetsgruppe. De aller yngste er en særlig sårbar og utsatt gruppe, konstaterer forsker Bera Ulstein Moseng ved Norsk Institutt for forskning om oppvekst, velferd og aldring, NOVA. Hun har hatt hovedansvaret for rapporten "Vold mot lesbiske og homofile tenåringer", som offentliggjøres i dag. (...)

Deprimert.
Undersøkelsen avdekker også at unge homofile og lesbiske er mer deprimert enn andre, de føler i større grad at livet er et slit, de har større søvnproblemer og de tenker oftere på å avslutte livet fordi det oppleves som meningsløst. (...)

New study adds weight to criticisms of antidepressant warnings
pharmatimes.com 10.9.2007
(...) A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (164: 1356-1363, September 2007) looked at prescription rates in the US and the Netherlands for SSRIs in children and adolescents aged up to 19 years between 2003 and 2005. (...)

Comparable rates of mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and antidepressants were prescribed for both age groups, although young patients were more likely to receive one of the newer atypical antipsychotics such as Abilify (aripiprazole, Bristol-Myers Squibb) or Zyprexa (olanzapine, Eli Lilly). (...)

Suicide spike puzzles experts

Suicide spike puzzles experts (Selvmordsstigning forvirrer forskerne)
dailyiowan.com 19.12.2007
Both local and national experts can only speculate on the implications of a new report showing an increase in the suicide rate of middle-age Americans.

The study, released Dec. 14 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found suicides by individuals between the ages of 45 and 54 rose 19.5 percent between 1999 and 2004 - 18.4 percent higher than the suicide rate increase for Americans between 20 and 29. The overall suicide rate rose 4.3 percent in America, from 29,199 suicides to 32,439.

Despite the report's breakdown of the statistics into age groups, experts have not drawn many conclusions.

John Westefeld, a UI professor of psychological and quantitative foundations who has studied suicidology since the late 1970s, said the more research one does in the field, the more complicated the field can become. (...)

"There really isn't an apparent trend that we see," she said.

On a national level, the American Association of Suicidology is dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide. It hosts three annual conferences and provides various services to suicide survivors, such as the directory of survivor support groups. It also lists the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline contact number, 1-800-273-TALK, on its website. (...)

Selvmord og internett

Suicide and the internet
Letters
BMJ 2008;336:905-906 (26 April)
Study misses internet’s greater collection of support websites

I’m unsure why Biddle et al’s study of suicide and the internet focused on methods of suicide rather than on support, treatment, interventions, crisis hotlines, or information on how to stop or prevent suicide.1 Suicidal behaviour encompasses all of this and much more. (...)

Oppmuntres til selvmord
helserevyen.no 14.4.2008
Internett domineres av nettsider der unge mennesker oppfordres til å begå selvmord, viser en engelsk studie.

Forskningsartikkelen Suicide and the internet er publisert i det engelske fagtidsskriftet British Medical Journal.

Forskerne fra universitetene i Bristol, Oxford og Manchester fant at mennesker som søker informasjon om selvmord på nettet, lettere kommer frem til sider som oppfordrer til handlingen enn som tilbyr støtte. (...)

Sjokkrapport om selvmord
na24.no 12.4.2008
Undersøkelsen viser at personer som søker informasjon om selvmord lettere blir ledet til sider som forherliger handlingen enn forebygger den.

Det er større sannsynlighet for å finne nettsider som oppfordrer til selvmord enn de som tilbyr hjelp, viser undersøkelse.

Fagbladet British Medical Journal melder at mennesker, som søker informasjon om selvmord på nettet, lettere kommer frem til sider som oppfordrer til handlingen enn som tilbyr støtte, ifølge BBC. (...)

Suicide and the internet (Selvmord og internett)
BMJ 2008;336:800-802 (12 April)
Media reporting of suicide and its fictional portrayal on television are known to influence suicidal behaviour, particularly the choice of method used.^{1 2 3}Indeed, epidemics of suicides using particular methods have occurred after media portrayal of their use.^{3 4 5}As some methods of suicide are more likely to cause death than others,⁶ such influences may affect the outcome of suicide attempts and national suicide rates.⁷ (...)

- Hvert tredje dødskrasj skyldes selvmord

Hvert tredje dødskrasj skyldes selvmord
nrk.no 10.9.2010
Hver tredje vogntogulykke der personbilen får skylda for å ha kommet over i motsatt kjørefelt, skyldes trolig et selvmord. (...)

Det viser statistikken for vogntogulykker fra 2005-2008. (...)

Mørketall
Transportøkonomisk institutt har gjennomgått alle de 130 vogntogulykkene mellom 2005 og 2008. I rapporten kommer det fram at 15 av ulykkene var selvmord. I tillegg var 11 ulykker var sannsynligvis selvmord, uten at Statens vegvesens ulykkeskommisjon fant endelige bevis.

Av alle vogntogulykker, var altså en femdel trolig et selvmord. Ser man bare på de møteulykkene der sjåføren i personbilen fikk skylda, så var en tredel trolig selvmord.

Trafikkforsker Dagfinn Moe sier til Her og Nå at mørketallene finnes.

– Det er mange ulykker det ikke finnes mulighet til å granske godt nok, sier han.

– Lettere for de etterlatte
Han har forsket på møteulykker hos Sintef Teknologi og Samfunn og sier omtrent 80 (75-85) prosent av alle trafikkselvmord skjer mot et vogntog.

– Det ene er at et såpass brutalt møte ender med at du mister livet. Samtidig blir dødsfallet oppfattet som en ulykke. Det har mye å si i forhold til forsikringsordninger. I ettertid kan det også være mer gunstig for familien å vite at det var en ulykke, sier Moe.

Moe har også forsket på møteulykker på rette strekninger, og konkluderte med at 42 prosent var selvmord. (...)

Velger døden mot tung lastebil
aftenposten.no 16.11.1999
Psykisk ustabile personbilister velger møtende lastebiler til å gjøre slutt på livet. Selvmord er årsaken i nesten hver femte av de "uforklarlige" møteulykkene på rette veistrekninger.

Av i alt 64 møteulykker på rette, oversiktlige veistrekninger i perioden 1995 til 1997, skjedde 26 mellom personbil og lastebil. Hver gang var det personbilen som kom over i galt kjørefelt. 11 av de 26 ulykkene - 42 prosent - var selvmord, har seniorforsker Dagfinn Moe ved SINTEF i Trondheim kommet til.

- Vi har såpass tydelige indikasjoner at vi er temmelig sikre på at det i disse 11 tilfellene er snakk om selvmord. Vi har fått vite at noen før kjøreturen var i tydelig psykisk ubalanse, at de hadde tatt farvel med familien, at de hadde skrevet avskjedsbrev, for å nevne noe, forklarer Dagfinn Moe.

Moe har dybdeanalysert i alt 119 møte- og utforkjøringsulykker som endte i alvorlige personskader eller at menneskeliv gikk tapt. Alle ulykkene inntraff på rette, oversiktlige veistrekninger med fartsgrense 80 eller 90 kilometer i timen. Av de 119 ulykkene, var 64 møteulykker. (...)

- Store mørketall når det gjelder selvmord blant eldre

Mener hjemmebesøk kan redusere selvmord
tv2nyhetene.no 15.11.2010
OPPFORDRER TIL BESØK: Overlege Ildri Kjølseth mener selvmord blant eldre kan unngås hvis helsetjenesten begynner med oppsøkende virksomhet.
Hvert år begår om lag 100 eldre selvmord i Norge. Overlege Ildri Kjølseth mener dette kan unngås.

Kjølseth har nettopp fullført en doktoravhandling om selvmord blant eldre. Hun mener alle eldre bør får besøk av helsetjenesten når de fyller 70 år.

Store mørketall
Som TV 2 viste søndag, kan være store mørketall når det gjelder selvmord blant eldre. En av grunnene til dette er at det er vanskelig å finne egentlig dødsårsak hos eldre mennesker.

– Det har vært større oppmerksomhet rundt denne problematikken i andre land. I Norge har vi ikke vist noen ting om dette, og det har nesten ikke vært tatt opp i det hele tatt. (...)

- Krisen driver rigmænd til selvmord

Whiskeybæltet i chok:
Rigmænd begår selvmord på stribe
bt.dk 23.11.2010
Finanskrisen har ikke bare kostet mange virksomheder livet – den har også fået flere fallerede danske rigmænd til at begå selvmord.

- Velhavende mænd kan have svært ved at håndtere identitetskrisen, når formuen pludselig er væk, siger bestyrelsesformand Morten Thomsen fra telefonrådgivningen Livslinien, der forsøger at tale folk fra selvmord.

Og det er især hos de rigmænd, der ikke har skabt deres formue selv, men arvet den fra familien, at økonomisk ruin udløser selvmordstanker.

Flere danske rigmænd mænd har begået selvmord siden finanskrisen lavede kæmpe formuer om til bundløs gæld. I sin bog om Erik Damgard, (der lever i bedste velgående), fortæller Berlingske-journalisten Birgitte Erhardtsen om en række selvmord blandt rigmænd i det storkøbenhavnske jetset. (...)

Selvmord blandt rigmænd
Jens Chr. Hansen
Erhvervskommentator på Berlingske Tidende. Journalistisk erfaring i mere end to årtier fra Berlingske Tidende og Jyllands-Posten, herunder som korrespondent i New York. Modtager af Cavling-prisen. Medforfatter til biografien om Jess Søderberg, "Mand af Mærsk."
business.dk 23.11.2010
Det er ikke ukendt, at finansielle problemer kan medføre dramatiske konsekvenser for det enkelte menneske. I ganske få tilfælde bliver disse problemer så uoverstigelige, at den pågældende ikke på nogen måde kan se en løsning og vælger derfor til sidst helt at give op og tage sit eget liv. Selvmord er dog i vid udstrækning er tabuområde, og derfor skrives der ikke meget om det. Men det burde medierne måske gøre, som en del af den virkelighed, der også hører konsekvenserne af højspekulative forretninger til - selvfølgelig med udvidet respekt for de efterladte.

Hvor mange, der begår selvmord på grund af økonomiske problemer, findes der ikke tal for, men i kølvandet på den finansielle krise er der dukket en række eksempler op fra ind- og udland, hvor rigmænd har følt sig så ydmyget og finansielt afklædt, at de har begået selvmord. Selvmord blandt rigmænd, og det er i dette tilfælde næsten udelukkende tale om mænd, er grobund for fascinationen dels af de lyse side blandt de allerrigeste i samfundet dels de mørke sider fra disse ofte lukkede kredse.

Fra historien har vi hørt om mennesker, som under 1930′ernes depression i USA, sprang i døden fra skyskraberne i New York, fordi den personlige økonomi var brudt sammen. Og i forbindelse med den seneste finansielle krise har udenlandske medier beskrevet meget dramatiske selvmord blandt rigmænd i Tyskland og England. Men også herhjemme er der flere eksempler på meget rige mennesker, der har tabt hele formuen og mere til, og som til sidst vælger at gå i døden.

Journalist på Berlingske Business, Birgitte Erhardtsen, har i sin seneste bog taget hul på dette emne og tak for det. Det sker i bogen “Erik Damgaard - rigdommens pris.” Det skal understreges, at kapitlet i bogen om selvmord blandt rigmænd ikke relaterer sig til personen Erik Damgaard, men til en person i hans omgangskreds blandt forretningsmænd. Birgitte Erhardtsen har vovet at berøre dette ømfindtlige emne, fordi netop økonomisk nedtur - for nogle mennesker - er noget af det mest ydmygende, æresødelæggende overhovedet. (...)

Krisen driver rigmænd til selvmord
business.dk 8.11.2010
Mangemilliardæren Adolf Merckle havde svimlende beløb på risikable investeringer.

Det er ikke kun penge, rigmænd har mistet under krisen. Den har også kostet dem livet. Ny bog beskriver, hvordan flere har følt så meget skam over at miste formuen, at de har begået selvmord. Psykologformand er ikke overrasket.

Penge er ikke noget, man taler om i de kredse. Det er bare noget, man har. De er en ligeså naturlig del af ens hverdag som at trække vejret.

Finanskrisen fik imidlertid mange velhavere til at gispe efter vejret. Den ellers konstant flydende pengestrøm tørrede ud. Og skammen over at miste formuen og sætte familiens trygge og behagelige liv over styr har flået flere rigmænd til at vælge den ultimative udvej - selvmord. (...)

Ba om smålån, ble gjeldsslaver
aftenposten.no 2.11.2010
Over 50 selvmord blant fattige låntagere har skapt frykt for at hele systemet med mikrofinans i India skal bryte sammen. En kredittørke kan få alvorlige følger også for norske bidrag. (...)

Aggressivt salg
Låneagenter skal ha drevet med aggressivt salg av slike lån på den indiske landsbygda. Mange låntagere tar også opp flere små lån og havner i en gjeldsfelle når de ikke klarer å betale renter og avdrag.

De siste ukene har indiske banker frosset alle nye lån til slike mikrofinansselskaper etter selvmordsbølgen i delstaten Andhra Pradesh. Politiske myndigheter i delstaten anklager låneagenter for å ha drevet med råsalg av lån og benyttet brutale inkassometoder. (...)

Ba om smålån, ble gjeldsslaver
aftenposten.no 2.11.2010
Selvmordsbølge blant mikrolånskunder Over 50 selvmord blant fattige låntagere har skapt frykt for at hele systemet med mikrofinans i India skal bryte sammen.En kredittørke kan få alvorlige følger også for norske bidrag. (...)

Skammen var ikke til å leve med
aftenposten.no 2.11.2010
Avlingssvikt og lånehaier er en dødelig kombinasjon på landsbygda. Selvmord er ikke uvanlig blant gjeldstyngede bønder i Andhra Pradesh. Som den fattige bondefamilien som var hardt rammet av flommen. Bare en tiendedel av jorda var tørket opp og kunne dyrkes. De kjempet for utkomme for seg, de to barna og bondens aldrende far. (...)

- Vi må unngå selvmord
nettavisen.no 6.1.2009
Politiet frykter flere selvmord som følge et økende antall inkassosaker.

Norges Politilederlag er bekymret over økningen i antall inkassosaker og namsmannsapparatets manglefulle ressurser til å behandle disse sakene.
Leder i Norges Politilederlag, Jonny Nauste, mener situasjonen er alvorlig og han viser til at det allerede har vært et par tilfeller av selvdrap i Asker og Bærum som følge av den økonomiske krisen. (...)

Fedre begår selvmord - vil slette gjeld
nettavisen.no 10.12.2008
- Fedrene opplever at alt blir svart, sier Nora Blaasvær i Kirkens SOS.

Tirsdag kveld ble det holdt et folkemøte i Bærum kulturhus for å gi kriseråd etter at finanskollapsen har ført til en rekke selvmord, skriver VG. (...)

- Erfaring viser at tap av økonomi og anseelse virker sterkt på menn. Flere menn sier de ønsker å ta sitt eget liv fordi de etterlatte da kan få gjeldsslette, sier Blaasvær til Nettavisen onsdag.

Hun oppfordrer alle i nær krets rundt finansofrene til å passe ekstra godt å på.

- Arrangementet tirsdag kveld var kjempefint. Det var en god opplevelse å være der, med selvopplevde erfaringer fra flere av deltakerne. Det var sterkt, sier Blaasvær til Nettavisen. (...)

JON SCHAU: - Man må ikke rømme fra alt det vonde. Da går det fort i oppløsning. Bildet er tatt fra en annen anledning.

Neste år kommer mer enn 2000 personer til å gå personlig konkurs, ifølge beregninger fra DnB NOR.

- Det beste tegnet på at noen sliter er at du ikke ser fyren lenger, sa komiker Jon Schau, ifølge VG. (...)

- Enorm forskel på selvmordstal

Tal om psykiatriske selvmord forkerte
b.dk 9.8.2011
En undersøgelse viser, at danske sindslidende patienter begår selvmord 18 gange hyppigere end svenske patienter. Men det passer ikke.

Selvmordsraten hos sindslidende patienter er i en rapport fra Nordisk Råd opgjort til at være på 5,6 procent af 100.000 indbyggere over 18 år. I Sverige skulle det kun være 0,31 procent. Men det svenske tal passer ikke.

- Tallene fra Sverige er ikke korrekte, siger Jan Main, formand for rapportens arbejdsgruppe og ledende overlæge ved Aalborg Psykiatriske Sygehus.

Den svenske Sundhedsstyrelse har opgivet forkerte tal til arbejdsgruppen. Men de sender nye tal og korrigerede tal senere på dagen.

Fejlen skyldes højst sandsynligt en simpel fejl, der er sket under indrapporteringen af tallene. En ærgerlig fejl, der ikke må ske, ifølge Jan Mainz.
Det danske tal ser til gengæld ud til at passe. Men Jan Mainz har også bedt Sundhedsstyrelsen om at tjekke op på tallene. (...)

Enorm forskel på selvmordstal
b.dk 8.8.2011
Andelen af psykiatriske patienter, der efter kontakt med det psykiatriske system ender med at tage deres eget liv, er 18 gange så stor i Danmark som i Sverige.

Langt flere danske end svenske sindslidende begår selvmord, viser en undersøgelse, der ryster eksperter.

Andelen af psykiatriske patienter, der efter kontakt med det psykiatriske system ender med at tage deres eget liv, er 18 gange så stor i Danmark som i Sverige viser den sammenlignende undersøgelse af psykiatrien i de nordiske lande, som Nordisk Råd har fået udarbejdet, skriver Information.

Rapporten opgør, hvor mange psykiatriske patienter ud af 100.000 indbyggere over 18 år, der i løbet af 2009 begik selvmord. Hvor tallet for Sverige er 0,31, så tegner Danmark sig for 5,6 - eller 18 gange så mange. Tilsvarende tal er ikke tilgængelige for de andre nordiske lande - men Mads Koch Hansen, der er formand for Lægeforeningen, erklærer sig alligevel "rystet" over forskellen:

- Det er svært at se på som læge, at der blandt to så sammenlignelige lande som Danmark og Sverige er så markante forskelle i selvmordsraterne for psykiatriske patienter, siger Mads Koch Hansen til Information.

Hos pårørendeforeningen Bedre Psykiatri kalder generalsekretær Thorstein Theilgaard forskellen for "urovækkende og trist". (...)

Danske sindslidende begår selvmord meget oftere end svenske
vg.no 8.8.2011
Undersøgelse af selvmord blandt sindslidende, ryster eksperter.

Andelen af psykiatriske patienter, der efter kontakt med det psykiatriske system ender med at tage deres eget liv, er 18 gange så stor i Danmark som i Sverige.
Det viser en ny sammenlignende undersøgelse af psykiatrien i de nordiske lande, som Nordisk Råd har fået udarbejdet, skriver Information.

Rapporten opgør, hvor mange psykiatriske patienter ud af 100.000 indbyggere over 18 år, der i løbet af 2009 begik selvmord.

Enorm forskel
Hvor tallet for Sverige er 0,31, så tegner Danmark sig for 5,6 - eller 18 gange så mange.

Tilsvarende tal er ikke tilgængelige for de andre nordiske lande - men Mads Koch Hansen, der er formand for Lægeforeningen, erklærer sig alligevel "rystet" over forskellen:

»Det er svært at se på som læge, at der blandt to så sammenlignelige lande som Danmark og Sverige er så markante forskelle i selvmordsraterne for psykiatriske patienter«, siger Mads Koch Hansen til Information.

Hos pårørendeforeningen Bedre Psykiatri kalder generalsekretær Thorstein Theilgaard forskellen for »urovækkende og trist«.

»Antallet af selvmord er et udtryk for, hvor god og veludbygget en behandling mennesker med psykisk sygdom får - eller ikke får - i dette land. Det er dybt beskæmmende«. (...)

- Hormonbrist linket til økt selvmordsrisiko

Hormonbrist ökar självmordsrisken
svt.se 18.8.2011
Hormonet oxytocin har en direkt koppling till självmord. Det har forskare i Sverige kommit fram till. Nu hoppas man på nya behandlingar som kan förhindra självmord.
Oxytocin är ett hormon som utsöndras i kroppen när vi till exempel får massage eller när en mamma ammar sitt barn. Man tror att ämnet minskar stresskänslighet och får oss att må bra och fungera socialt.

Nu har forskare vid Karolinska institutet hittat ett tydligt samband mellan nivåerna av oxytocin i ryggmärgsvätska och allvarliga självmordsförsök.

I studien följde forskarna 28 personer som nyligen försökt genomföra ett självmord och jämförde dessa med 19 personer som inte var självmordsbenägna. Sambanden visade sig vara tydliga. (...)

(Anm: Oxytocin; Oksytocin er et velværehormon som produseres i hypothalamus i hjernen, og føres herfra langs nervefibrer til hypofysebaklappen for lagring og frigjøring etter behov. Hormonet utsondres blant annet ved berøring. Både den som berører og blir berørt skiller ut oksytoscin. (no.wikipedia.org).)

Oxytocin involvement in SSRI-induced delayed ejaculation: a review of animal studies.
J Sex Med. 2007 Jan;4(1):14-28.
INTRODUCTION: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) differ in the severity of induced ejaculation delay. Various studies indicate that oxytocin is involved in sexual behavior. (...)

CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data suggest that the severity of chronic SSRI treatment-induced delayed ejaculation and the differences between the various SSRIs in inducing ejaculation delay is related to gradual desensitization of 5-HT(1A) receptors on oxytocin neurons. (...)

(Anm: Oxytocin; Oksytocin er et velværehormon som produseres i hypothalamus i hjernen, og føres herfra langs nervefibrer til hypofysebaklappen for lagring og frigjøring etter behov. Hormonet utsondres blant annet ved berøring. Både den som berører og blir berørt skiller ut oksytoscin. (no.wikipedia.org).)

Serotonin, pregnancy and increased autism prevalence: is there a link?
Med Hypotheses. 2010 May;74(5):880-3. Epub 2009 Dec 16.
Abstract The prevalence of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition resulting from genetic and environmental causes, has increased dramatically during the last decade. Among the potential environmental factors, hyperserotonemia during pregnancy and its effect on brain development could be playing a role in this prevalence raise. In the rodent model developed by Whitaker-Azmitia and colleagues, hyperserotonemia during fetal development results in a dysfunction of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis, affecting the amygdala as well as pro-social hormone oxytocin regulation. Dysfunction of the amygdala and abnormal oxytocin levels may underlie many clinical features of ASD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are the most widely used class of antidepressants drugs, and they are not contraindicated during pregnancy. In this paper, we hypothesize that increased serotonemia during pregnancy, including due to SSRI intake, could be one of the causes of the raising prevalence in autism. If our hypothesis is confirmed, it will not only shed light on one of the possible reason for autism prevalence, but also offer new preventive and treatment options. (...)

Diverse artikler

Pentagon to limit antipsychotic drugs for PTSD
navytimes.com 3.5.2012
The Pentagon is moving to limit off-label use of powerful anti-psychotic drugs for post-traumatic stress disorder — a practice some say may contribute to accidental drug overdoses among troops.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson sent a letter to the services in February asking military treatment facilities to monitor prescriptions of atypical antipsychotics like risperidone and quetiapine, marketed under the brand name Seroquel.

The drugs, used to treat severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are sometimes prescribed to troops in lower doses to alleviate symptoms associated with PTSD and anxiety, including nightmares and irritability.

But when mixed with other prescriptions, they can be dangerous and sometimes fatal.

The Food and Drug Administration in 2011 added a warning label to quetiapine, saying its use with some synthetic opiates, including methadone, can increase the risk of a heart-stopping overdose.

In his letter, Woodson said the number of prescriptions for these antipsychotics jumped tenfold from 2002 to 2009, from 0.1 percent to 1 percent.
In fiscal 2010, 1.4 percent of all soldiers and 0.7 percent of Marines received prescriptions for Seroquel.

Side effects for these medications can include slow heart rates and high blood sugar levels. When combined with other medications that slow respiration and heart rate, including opiates and alcohol, they can exacerbate the problem.

The FDA said in a one-year period, 34 drug overdoses involved quetiapine, although none were fatal. Of those, 17 involved other medications.

Military death records obtained by Military Times in 2011 showed there were at least 68 accidental drug deaths among troops in 2009, up from 24 in 2001. (...)

2011 U.S. Army Suicides Reached Unprecedented Level
clinicalpsychiatrynews.com 26.4.2012
BALTIMORE – Suicides by active-duty soldiers in the U.S. Army reached their highest level in history last year, with 164 confirmed instances of soldiers taking their lives.

This unprecedented level came in the seventh consecutive year of steadily increasing suicide rates; in 2008, the suicide rate among active-duty U.S. Army personnel exceeded the prevailing civilian rate for the first time in history, and in the years following 2008 the annual rate among soldiers continued to rise, Maj. Gen. L.P. Chang said at the annual conference of the American Association of Suicidology. (...)

Military’s increased use of medications under fire (Militærets økte bruk av legemidler kritiseres)
spokesman.com 8.4.2012
U.S. Air Force pilot Patrick Burke’s day started in the cockpit of a B-1B bomber near the Persian Gulf and proceeded across nine time zones as he ferried the aircraft home to South Dakota.

Every four hours during the 19-hour flight, Burke swallowed a tablet of Dexedrine, the prescribed amphetamine known as “go pills.” After landing, he went out for dinner and drinks with a fellow crewman. They were driving back to Ellsworth Air Force Base when Burke began striking his friend in the head.
“Jack Bauer told me this was going to happen – you guys are trying to kidnap me!” he yelled, as if he were a character in the TV show “24.”

When the woman giving them a lift pulled the car over, Burke leaped on her and wrestled her to the ground. “Me and my platoon are looking for terrorists,” he told her before grabbing her keys, driving away and crashing into a guardrail.

Burke was charged with auto theft, drunken driving and two counts of assault. But in October, a court-martial judge found the young lieutenant not guilty “by reason of lack of mental responsibility” – the almost unprecedented equivalent, at least in modern-day military courts, of an insanity acquittal.

Four military psychiatrists concluded Burke suffered from “polysubstance-induced delirium” brought on by alcohol, lack of sleep and the 40 milligrams of Dexedrine he was issued by the Air Force.

In a small but growing number of cases across the nation, lawyers are blaming the U.S. military’s heavy use of psychotropic drugs for their clients’ aberrant behavior and related health problems. Such defenses have rarely gained traction in military or civilian courtrooms, but Burke’s case provides the first important indication that military psychiatrists and court-martial judges are not blind to what can happen when troops go to work medicated. (...)

Suicides Rose By 80% In US Army, 2004-2008
medicalnewstoday.com 8.3.2012
According to a study conducted by US Army Public Health Command, the number of suicides committed among US army personnel increased 80% between 2004 and 2008. The study is published online in Injury and Prevention.

The researchers explain that approximately 40% of these suicides might be linked to military events after the United States became involved in Iraq.

Starting In 2003, a considerable number of US troops were deployed to Iraq. The US is currently involved in military operations in Afghanistan. (...)

Suicides Highlight Failures of Veterans’ Support System
nytimes.com 24.3.2012
Francis Guilfoyle, a 55-year-old homeless veteran, drove his 1985 Toyota Camry to the Department of Veterans Affairs campus in Menlo Park early in the morning of Dec. 3, took a stepladder and a rope out of the car, threw the rope over a tree limb and hanged himself.

It was an hour before his body was cut down, according to the county coroner’s report.

“When I saw him, my heart just sank,” said Dennis Robinson, 51, a formerly homeless Army veteran who discovered Mr. Guilfoyle’s body. “This is supposed to be a safe place where a vet can get help. Something failed him.” (...)

Selvmord hærger kriseramt Sydeuropa
b.dk 5.4.2012
Italiens premierminister Mario monit beskyldes for indirekte at være skyld i en række selvmord - hans reformer er for hårde, lyder kritikken.

Optøjer i Grækenland efter at pensionist begik selvmord på åben gade. I Italien angribes regeringens reformer for at være skyld i flere selvmord. (...)

Syreoffers selvmord vekker harme
aftenposten.no 31.3.2012
Etter 12 år med store smerter og et vansiret utseende, besluttet Fakhra Younus (33), et av Pakistans mest kjente syreofre, at livet ikke var verdt å leve. Etter å ha gjennomgått mer enn tre dusin operasjoner, hoppet hun fra sjette etasje i en blokk i Roma. (...)

Severe headaches tied to suicide attempts: study (Sterk hodepine knyttet til selvmordsforsøk, ifølge studie)
reuters.com 22.3.2012
(Reuters) - People with severe headaches, whether migraines or not, may be more likely to attempt suicide, according to a U.S. study of more than a thousand people.

A number of studies over the years have found that people with migraines tend to have a higher suicide rate than those without, but it has not been clear if this is related specifically to the "biology of migraines," said Naomi Breslau of Michigan State University at East Lansing, who led the study.

"We haven't known if it was the migraines or the pain more generally," Breslau told Reuters Health, though her findings, published in the journal Headache, don't prove that headaches caused the suicide attempts.

The study followed nearly 1,200 Detroit, Michigan-area adults. About 500 of them were migraine sufferers, while 151 had severe headaches that were not migraines. The rest were free of serious headaches and served as a comparison group.

In this study, severe non-migraines were defined as intense headache lasting more than four hours. (...)

Suicides in Japan spiked after quake: survey
google.com/hostednews 8.3.2012
(AFP) – TOKYO — The number of people who took their own lives in Japan drastically increased in the aftermath of last year's huge tsunami and the nuclear disaster it triggered, the government said Friday.

A more than 20 percent rise in the amount of suicides in one month was likely attributable at least in part to the widespread anxiety Japanese society felt in the aftermath of the catastrophe, an official said.

In May last year 3,375 people killed themselves, more than 20 percent up on the same month a year earlier.

Figures released by the Cabinet Office and the National Police Agency showed 30,651 people committed suicide in 2011, the 14th consecutive year the figure has exceeded 30,000. (...)

Glucocorticoids Linked to Suicide, Neuropsychiatric Disorders
medscape.com 1.3.2012
March 1, 2012 — Glucocorticoid medications given in primary care settings are associated with suicidal behaviors and severe neuropsychiatric disorders, new research suggests.

In a large, population-based study of adult patients in the United Kingdom (UK), those receiving glucocorticoids were almost 7 times more likely to commit or attempt suicide, more than 5 times more likely to develop delirium, more than 4 times more likely to develop mania, and almost twice as likely to develop depression than those with the same underlying conditions who did not receive the medications.

In addition, patients younger than 30 years were at particular risk for suicide attempts, women were more at risk for depression, and men were at especially increased risk for mania and delirium/confusion/disorientation. Higher dosages of the medications were also linked to an overall greater risk for adverse outcomes.

"Steroid-treated patients do not always know that the neuropsychiatric symptoms that they are experiencing are induced by the treatment. They may, for instance, think that they are induced by the underlying disease," lead author Laurence Fardet, MD, PhD, from the Department of Internal Medicine at Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, France, told Medscape Medical News.

"Therefore, I believe that physicians must be aware that these neuropsychiatric adverse events are frequent and potentially life-threatening in order to better inform the patient and their family, and to avoid steroids when possible," said Dr. Fardet.

With data for almost 3500 glucocorticoid-treated patients included, the investigators note that this is the largest trial to date to examine these adverse outcomes.

The study was published online February 17 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (...)

Hun er blitt symbolet på desperasjonen i Hellas
dagbladet.no 16.2.2012
Da Lambrousi og mannen fikk sparken, truet de med å hoppe i døden. (...)

Flere selvmord
Lambrousi og hennes ektemann er ikke alene om å se håpløsheten i den økonomiske situasjonen i Hellas. Flere grekere ser ikke lenger meningen med livet.

I fjor skrev The Wall Street Journal at antall registrerte selvmord har doblet seg i tiden før krisen, til seks per 100 000. innbygger årlig, ifølge det greske helsedepartementet.

Rundt 40 prosent flere grekere tok livet sitt de første fem månedene i 2011, enn i samme periode i 2010. (...)

Flere kvinner med silikon begår selvmord
nrk.no 10.2.2012
Studier fra flere land viser at kvinner som forstørrer brystene sine, i snitt har dårligere psykisk helse enn andre kvinner, og flere tar sitt eget liv.

Det er to til tre ganger så mange kvinner med forstørrede bryster som tar sitt eget liv, sammenlignet med andre kvinner.

Det viser undersøkelser fra Sverige, Finland, Danmark og USA.

Samtidig viser en norsk levekårsundersøkelse at kvinner som har tatt kosmetisk kirurgi, i snitt har dårligere psykisk helse enn andre kvinner.

Spørreundersøkelsen fra 2008 viste at sju prosent av kvinner mellom 18 og 65 år i Norge hadde fått utført en kosmetisk operasjon. (...)

Hindres ikke med tvang
Tor Levin Hofgaard, President, Norsk Psykologforening
aftenposten.no 6.2.2012
Selvmord. Suicidales situasjon vil bedres i svært liten grad ved tvangsinnleggelse.

• Umulige kriterier for et hjerteløst valg
• Dømt til psykiatriskbehandling -4 av 5 på frifot etter 5 år
• Når behandlingen ikke virker

Retten til liv er en grunnleggende menneskerettighet, og mennesker som er akutt selvmordstruet, har behov for vern. Det er imidlertid tungtveiende grunner til at et slikt vern ikke alltid skal ligge innenfor psykisk helsevernloven.

Utredning
I dag utløper høringsfristen for Paulsrud-utvalgets utredning om tvang i psykisk helsevern. I dag er hovedvilkåret for å bruke tvang at pasienten har en alvorlig psykisk lidelse (les: psykose). Paulsrud-utvalget ønsker en unntaksbestemmelse som vil gjøre det mulig å innlegge akutt selvmordstruede pasienter som ikke lider av alvorlig psykisk lidelse, til tvungen observasjon i inntil tre dager. Det antas at kortvarig innleggelse kan dempe selvmordstruende kriser hos pasienter med personlighetsforstyrrelse, depresjon eller annet som ikke er "alvorlig psykisk lidelse".

Mot sin hensikt
Det er gode grunner for at utvalgets forslag ikke bør få gjennomslag: I praksis vil mange av de som omfattes av Paulsrud-utvalgets forslag være pasienter med alvorlig personlighetsforstyrrelser hvor kronisk suicidalitet er en del av bildet. Deres situasjon vil bedres i svært liten grad ved tvangsinnleggelse. For disse pasientene finnes imidlertid god og virksom behandling hvor hjelp til å ta ansvar står sentralt. Det er ressurskrevende, men det virker. Tvang i denne sammenhengen vil ofte virke mot sin hensikt.

Det har lenge vært et tverrpolitisk og faglig mål å redusere bruk av tvang når det finnes gode alternativer. Paulsrud-utvalgets forslag om en utvidelse av tvangsbestemmelsene til også å omfatte selvmordstruede, vil bidra til det motsatte: Trykket kan være betydelig fra pårørende og nettverk som forståelig nok ønsker hjelp til sine kjære. En unntaksbestemmelse fra hovedvilkåret gjør at man i mange tilfeller vil mangle den støtten i lovverket som man trenger for å unngå tvangsinnleggelse. En slik bestemmelse vil kunne danne grunnlag for rettslig forfølgelse av helsepersonell som ikke tvangsinnlegger, og som opplever at pasienten senere begår selvmord. Slik kan det oppstå en fryktkultur der man bruker tvangsinnleggelser for å være "på den sikre siden". (...)

Experts want suicide risk warning on ADHD drug (Eksperter ønsker selvmordsadvarsel på ADHD-legemiddel)
foxnews.com 31.1.2012
Children who take a common drug for attention deficit disorder should be warned about the risk of suicidal thoughts, U.S. pediatric health advisers said on Monday.

Several members of an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration asked the agency to change the label for Focalin, an attention deficit medicine made by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG, to reflect this risk. The drug is approved for children aged 6 or older.

The FDA often follows the advice of its committees, although it is not required to.

The FDA said it received eight reports of suicidal thoughts for children or adolescents who took the drug over the past six years, and four of the cases appeared to be linked to the medicine. The link for the remaining cases was less clear.

"The suicidal ideation seems to be pretty serious," said Dr. Sheldon Kaplan, panel member and chief of infectious diseases at Texas Children's Hospital.

But the FDA said the risk of suicidal thoughts did not appear in clinical trials for Focalin, and the later reports were a tiny number compared to how many children used the drug.

"I'm somewhat puzzled by the focus of suicidal ideation," said Tom Laughren, head of the FDA's psychiatric products division, in response to the panel's recommendation.

"These drugs are very widely used. And what you're seeing here are a handful of reports that are difficult to interpret with regard to causality," he said. (...)

Innkrevingsselskapene vil ikke ta ansvar for gjeldsofre
nrk.no 27.1.2012
– Når folk får betalingsproblemer er det utrolig viktig at de kommer i kontakt med kreditorer eller inkassobyråer så tidlig som mulig, sier kommunikasjonssjef i Lindorff, Stig-Inge Eikenes.

Innkrevingsselskaper mener de ikke har ansvar for at folk havner i dyp økonomisk krise. Stadig oftere må politiet rykke ut og hindre at gjeldsofre tar sitt eget liv. (...)

Mange gir blaffen
Gjeldsofferalliansen bekrefter at problemet er økende. Dette handler ikke om noen finanskrise.

– Veldig mange som ringer hit har kredittkort opp og kredittkort i mente. Disse kortene er lette å få tak i, og når renten nærmer seg 30 prosent, er det lett og komme i klisteret, sier leder Bengt Scheldt. (...)

Har redda fleire gjeldsoffer frå sjølvmord
nrk.no 25.1.2012
Mange slit med økonomien utan at familien og vener kjenner til det. Lensmann i Nedre Eiker, Torill Sorte, er uroa over at fleire prøvar å løyse det heile ved å ta sjølvmord.

Kredittkortgjelda blant oss aukar. Sidan i fjor haust har politiet i Nedre Eiker rykka ut heile ti gonger for å redde gjeldsoffer som vil gjere slutt på livet. (...)

Det finnst hjelp
NAV har kapasitet til å hjelpe desse menneska, men slit med å få tak i dei, fortel NAV-sjefen i Nedre Eiker, Bjørn Opsahl.

– Dei fleste me hjelper, er i systemet frå før, seier han, men meiner terskelen for å kontakte NAV ikkje burde vera så høg som den ser ut til å vere.

Han ønskjer at fleire tek kontakt, og oppfordrar dei til å gjere det så tidleg som råd.

– Det finnst hjelp! Me er ein statleg institusjon, som ikkje kostar noko, og som kan hjelpe til å få orden på økonomien, seier Opsahl.

NAV-sjefen fortel at det er mange vegar ut av økonomisk uføre.

– Me kan hjelpe med å få ei ordentleg oversikt over den økonomiske situasjonen, og sette opp ein betalingsplan slik at ein får kontroll over gjelda, fortel Opsahl.

Dei aller fleste som får gjeldsråd hjå NAV, kjenner seg letta når dei endeleg tør å fortelle om problema sine.

– Me rår våre klientar til å vera så opne som mogeleg, ikkje minst overfor sine nærmaste. Som oftast vil det vere ei hjelp berre i det. Særleg vaksne menn har høg terskel både i forhold til å oppsøkje hjelpeapparatet og å søkje hjelp hjå sine nærmaste, seier Opsahl. (...)

Metro Suicides Spike; Prevention Efforts Stalled
clarendon.patch.com 9.1.2012
The Examiner reports that WMATA's program to prevent suicide has been slow to launch.

Nine people attempted suicide last year by jumping in front of Metro trains; only two survived. The Washington Examiner reports that two more have been struck since the beginning of the new year.

The number of suicides is alarming in light of WMATA's stalled efforts to prevent them. A plan to post suicide hotline numbers inside stations has not been implemented yet. According to the article, WMATA "was given" a $70,000 study from the American Association of Suicidology, but declined to release the findings of the report to the press because "it contained sensitive information that would need to be redacted."

WMATA also refused to release information to Patch on a McLean man who jumped in front of a train at the Clarendon metro station in October. He died from his injuries in a local hospital. The suicide attempt caused severe rush hour delays and trapped passengers inside train cars with no electricity for more than one hour.

The Virginia Department of Health refused to release the 39-year-old man's autopsy report or official cause of death. (...)

Suicide Rate for Trans Women Denied Implants Alarming
advocate.com 1.1.2012
A new study from the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights (RFSL) concludes that breast implants are literally a life and death matter for transgender women who need the operation to "fit in as women in their everyday life." And the suicide rate among those who don't get them is at least 30 times higher than the average person.

According to Swedish website, The Local, RFSL warns that transgender women who are refused breast implants as a compliment to hormone treatment can suffer from a variety of psychological problems, resulting in an “alarmingly” high suicide rate. (...)

Meth Users Much More Likely to Try Suicide (Metamfetaminbrukere mye mer sannsynlig for selvmordsforsøk)
news.yahoo.com 30.12.2011
FRIDAY, Dec. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Drug users who inject themselves with methamphetamine are 80 percent more likely to attempt suicide than those abusing other drugs, new research reveals.

The magnified risk for meth users is probably rooted in a mixture of social, structural and neurobiological factors, say researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York City and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

"Compared to other injection drug users, it is possible that methamphetamine users are more isolated and have poorer social support systems," study author and Mailman postdoctoral fellow Brandon Marshall said in a Columbia news release.

Marshall and his colleagues report their findings in the December issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. (...)

(Anm: Metamfetamin er et syntetisk sentralstimulerende narkotikum. (no.wikipedia.org).)

(Anm: Methamphetamine (USAN) ( /ˌmɛθæmˈfɛtəmiːn/), also known as methamfetamine (INN),[2] N-methylamphetamine, methylamphetamine, and desoxyephedrine, is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs. When used illicitly, methamphetamine is commonly referred to as "crystal meth", "meth", "crystal", "ice", "p", "shabu", "speed", "singolah", "bunzun", "glass", "tina", or "crank". (en.wikipedia.org).)

Tenn. Guard anti-suicide app could help soldiers nationwide
reuters.com 16.12.2011
(Reuters) - The Tennessee National Guard has launched a pilot program that will allow potentially suicidal troops to use a new smart phone application to immediately connect them to help.

The "Guard Your Buddy" app was spearheaded by Clark Flatt, president and CEO of the Jason Foundation, which he launched in October 1997 after his son, Jason, 16, took his life July 16 of that year.

Major General Terry "Max" Haston, who approached Flatt about the app, said the idea is pretty simple.

"We hope soldiers will download this smart phone application and pass it on to their fellow troops to ensure they have someone to talk to in times of trouble," Haston said.

"It's difficult to predict if or when a member of our guard family will face suicidal thoughts, but we want them to be able to get help if they need it."

Flatt said suicides in the National Guard "have gone up 450 percent since 2004," a number that includes at least six members of the state National Guard. (...)

"A lot of the people we're talking about as having these issues are young guardsmen, 18-24 years old," Flatt said, noting that encompasses the college age group his foundation serves. "We found a lot of problems were relationships and finance," that left unaddressed could lead to thoughts of suicide. (...)

Både arv och miljö bakom självmord
dn.se 15.12.2011
Både arv och miljö tycks påverka risken för självmord. Det visar en studie vid Karolinska institutet.

Enligt studien, som utgår från flergenerationsregistret och alla självmord som utförts mellan 1952 och 2003, är risken för självmord betydligt högre för helsyskon till självmordsoffer än för dessas barn, vilket pekar på inverkan av miljöfaktorer.

Å andra sidan är risken större för helsyskon än halvsyskon med samma mamma, något som tyder på genetiska faktorer. (...)

How can rising suicide rates be reversed in the face of cuts to mental health services?
guardian.co.uk 15.12.2011
Campaigners fear that the prolonged economic gloom coupled with six more years of public spending cuts could mean more vulnerable people are left without support (...)

In 2008, 5,706 people killed themselves in the UK, an average of almost 16 deliberate deaths a day. After close to a decade of annual declines, recession triggered a sharp spike in suicide. Recent figures published in The Lancet show that the UK suicide rate increased 8% between 2007 and 2009. The latest Office for National Statistics figures suggest a similar rise. (...)

Lawmakers examine prison mental health treatment (Lovgivere gransker psykisk behandling i fengsler)
online.wsj.com 6.12.2011 (Associated Press)
ALBANY, N.Y. — State lawmakers are looking into mental health treatment in state prisons and a rise in the number of suicides in correctional facilities.

The Assembly is holding a public hearing on the subject Tuesday morning in Albany. Lawmakers will focus on issues related to the implementation of the Special Housing Unit Exclusion Law.

In 2010, 20 inmates committed suicide in state prisons, twice the number in 2009 and the highest suicide rate since 1982.

Assembly Correction Committee Chair Jeffrion Aubry and Mental Health Committee Chair Felix Ortiz will also examine the expansion of existing mental health programs for inmates in disciplinary housing who were diagnosed with mental illness.

Testimony is scheduled from mental health and prisoner advocacy groups and family members of mentally ill prisoners. (...)

Nu skal de mistænkelige selvmord undersøges
bt.dk 24.11.2011
B.T.s artikelserie om mistænkelige selvmord får nu konsekvenser. Læs meget mere på bt.dk/mordellerselvmord.

En ny arbejdsgruppe skal kulegrave politiets håndtering af mistænkelige dødsfald og mulige selvmordsager. Det sker efter en række artikler i B.T.

Det fremgår af en skriftlig redegørelse, som justitsminister Morten Bødskov (S) sent onsdag sendte til den tidligere formand for Folketings Retsudvalg, Peter Skaarup (DF).

Arbejdsgruppen bliver nedsat som følge af en igangværende artikelserie i B.T., som de seneste måneder har afsløret en lang række alvorlige svigt i politiets håndtering af flere konkrete dødsfald. Dødsfald, som på et særdeles spinkelt grundlag er blevet henlagt som selvmord, selvom flere spor tyder på, at der reelt kan være om drab.

Flere erfarne efterforskere og retsmedicinere siger, at politiets indsats på området er præget af dovenskab og manglende evner.

Det er en denne kritik, den nye arbejdsgruppe skal forholde sig til. Arbejdsgruppen kommer til at bestå af repræsentanter fra anklagemyndigheden, Rigspolitiet, de retsmedicinske institutter, embedslægeinstitutionen og de enkelte politikredses øverste juridiske og politiuddannede ledelse.

Ifølge skrivelsen fra justitsministeren bliver gruppens opgave at beskrive og analysere politiets praksis på området med henblik på at højne kvaliteten.

Samtidig skal den danske indsats sammenlignes med den, der findes i de øvrige nordiske lande. Her obduceres selvmordsofre blandt andet langt hyppigere end det sker i Danmark. Det har ikke været muligt at få en kommentar fra justitsminister Morten Bødskov.

Torsdag er han imidlertid kaldt i samråd i Folketingets Retsudvalg for at svare på en række kritiske spørgsmål afledt af den igangværende artikelserie i B.T. (...)

Suicide and suicide attempts in children and adolescents in the child welfare system
CMAJ 2011;183(17) (November 22)
Background: Few population studies have examined the psychiatric outcomes of children and adolescents in the child welfare system, and no studies have compared outcomes before and after entry into care. Our objective was to assess the relative rate (RR) of suicide, attempted suicide, admission to hospital and visits to physicians’ offices among children and adolescents in care compared with those not in care. We also examined these outcomes within the child welfare population before and after entry into care. (...)

Interpretation: Children and adolescents in care were at greater risk of suicide and attempting suicide than those who were not in care. Rates of suicide attempts and hospital admissions within this population were highest before entry into care and decreased thereafter. (...)

Prof’s study linked to child suicide (Professor linket til barne-selvmord)
browndailyherald.com 17.11.2011
U. remains silent in face of accusations

Ten years after its publication, a study by Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Martin Keller continues to generate concern in the medical community due to its alleged link to child suicide.

Last month, the global nonprofit Healthy Skepticism wrote to the University requesting support for its efforts to retract Keller's article — commonly known as Study 329 — from the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Healthy Skepticism expressed concern that the study, which identified the drug Paxil as an effective combatant of depression in children, "seriously misrepresented both the effectiveness and the safety" of the drug. The authors added that the study's continued citation was harmful to children, since some children committed suicide after being prescribed Paxil.

The letter follows several ethical examinations of Study 329, including a BBC documentary, the book "Side Effects" by former Boston Globe reporter Alison Bass and an investigation by the Senate Finance Committee. Those inquiries led to allegations that the authors of the study — who had received funds from Paxil's parent company GlaxoSmithKline — suppressed the findings on the drug's connection to suicidal tendencies because they would adversely affect profits.

Keller, the lead author, was also accused of allowing the study to be ghostwritten by a GlaxoSmithKline affiliate. In June 2009, he stepped down as chair of the psychiatry department, citing personal reasons, but he retained his professorship. Keller did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.
Citing confidentiality reasons, Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Edward Wing also declined to comment. (...)

(Anm: Seroxat (Paxil) (paroxetine; paroksetin) (SSRI) (mintankesmie.no).)

– Ett selvmord hvert 80. minutt
nrk.no 4.11.2011
I siden Vietnamkrigen har så mange amerikanske veteransoldater tatt sitt eget.

Hvert 80. minutt begår en amerikansk veteran selvmord, ifølge en ny studie.

I juli i år begikk 33 soldater og reservesoldater i den amerikanske hæren selvmord. Det er en dyster rekord for den amerikanske hæren.

Selvmord blant amerikanske soldater har økt kraftig siden krigene i Irak og Afghanistan startet, viser rapporten Center for a New American Security Suicide report.

I rapporten understrekes det at det er vanskelig å slå fast med 100 prosent nøyaktighet hvor mange soldater som tar sitt eget liv, blant annet fordi bare 16 delstater opplyser om veteranstatus.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) anslår imidlertid at hele 18 veteraner tar livet av seg hver eneste dag, og etterlyser en mer fullstendig oversikt.

I 2009 prøvde 1.868 amerikanske soldater fra disse krigene å ta sitt eget liv. Ifølge avisen Huffington Post understreker disse tallene behovet for å utvikle bedre oppfølging av soldatene.

Selv om kun én prosent av alle amerikanere har vært i militæret, står veteranene for 20 prosent av alle selvmord i USA. (...)

Flere selvmord i psykiatrien
vg.no 2.11.2011
I løpet av de siste to årene har antall selvmord i psykiatrien økt med 65 prosent. Antall selvmordsforsøk har økt med 181 prosent. Helsetilsynet er usikker på om økningen skyldes bedre rutiner for rapportering eller at flere tar livene sine.

Statens helsetilsyn har hatt en kraftig økning i antall meldte selvmord der pasientene var til behandling i det psykiske helsevernet, skriver Stavanger Aftenblad.

I 2008 var antall selvmord 78, mens i 2010 var det økt med 65 prosent til 129. Tallene viser at antall selvmordsforsøk har økt enda mer, med 62 tilfeller i 2008 til 174 tilfeller i fjor.

- Det er en kraftig økning, men jeg er ikke sikker på om det er en reell økning eller om foretakene er blitt veldig mye flinkere til å melde fra. Risiko for selvmord er en viktig årsak til at mange blir innlagt, understreker Unni Rønneberg, seniorrådgiver og spesialist i psykiatri hos Statens helsetilsyn.

Ifølge Statistisk sentralbyrå var de totale tallene for selvmord i Norge 505 i 2008 og 548 i 2010. Det er en økning på 8,5 prosent. (...)

New study says Chantix raises suicide risks (Ny studie viser at Champix øker selvmordsrisiko)
reuters.com 2.11.2011
(Reuters) - Pfizer's smoking cessation drug Chantix carries too many risks and should only be tried when other treatments fail, researchers said on Wednesday.

Chantix was eight times more likely to be linked with a reported case of suicidal behavior or depression than other nicotine replacement products, such as the nicotine patch, they said.

The findings contradict two studies released last month by the Food and Drug Administration that showed Chantix (sold as Champix outside the United States) did not increase the risk of being hospitalized for psychiatric problems such as depression.

The agency at the time acknowledged that those studies were flawed because they were too small to identify rare events and they only captured cases that were severe enough to land people in the hospital.

"Our study contradicts the implications of a recent review by the FDA showing no difference in psychiatric hospitalizations between varenicline and nicotine replacement patches," said Dr. Curt Furberg, professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, co-author of the study published online in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS One.

"The FDA hospitalization studies were flawed because they could not capture most of the serious psychiatric side effects, including suicide, depression, aggression and assaults. These can be catastrophic events but do not normally result in hospitalization," Furberg said in a statement. (...)

The reliability of suicide rates: an analysis of railway suicides from two sources in fifteen European countries
J Affect Disord. 2011 Jun;131(1-3):120-7. Epub 2010 Dec 3.
BACKGROUND: National suicide data are an underestimation of the actual number of suicides but are often assumed to be reliable and useful for scientific research. The aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion of the reliability of suicide mortality data by comparing railway suicides from two data sources.

METHODS: Data for the railway suicides and the concurrent causes of death of fifteen European countries were collected from the European Detailed Mortality Database and the European Railway Agency (ERA). Suicide rates, odds ratios and confidence intervals were calculated.

RESULTS: The suicide data from the ERA were significantly higher than the national data for six out of fifteen countries. In three countries, the ERA registered significantly more railway suicides compared to the sum of the national suicides and undetermined deaths. In Italy and France, the ERA statistics recorded significantly more railway related fatalities than the national statistical offices. In total the ERA statistics registered 34% more suicides and 9% more railway fatalities compared with the national statistics.

LIMITATIONS: The findings of this study concern railway suicides and they cannot be extrapolated to all types of suicides. Further, the national suicide statistics and the ERA data are not perfectly comparable, due to the different categorisations of the causes of death.

CONCLUSIONS: Based on the data for railway suicides, it seems that the underestimation of suicide rates is significant for some countries, and that the degree of underestimation differs substantially among countries. Caution is needed when comparing national suicide rates. There is a need for standardisation of national death registration procedures at the European level. (...)

Lover å satse stort i kampen mot selvmord
aftenposten.no 28.10.2011
Statsråd Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen lover forebyggende tiltak mot selvmord.

Helseministeren mener samfunnet har et ansvar for å motvirke selvmord og selvmordsforsøk. De siste årene har flere enn 500 mennesker årlig begått selvmord. Dette er den vanligste dødsårsaken blant unge menn i Norge. Saken var oppe i Stortinget i går, og statsråd Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen (Ap) lover en ny handlingsplan for å forebygge selvmord.

Mange stortingspolitikere var aktive i debatten, og alle var enige i at det var viktig at saken må følges opp.

Vil granske Aftenposten skrev i forrige uke at det de siste to årene har vært en økning i antall selvmord. I 2009 tok ca. 70 flere menn selvmord enn året før, og Folkehelseinstituttet ønsker å se om dette har en sammenheng med finanskrisen i 2008.

Helse- og omsorgsminister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen er også bekymret for at antall selvmordsforsøk ikke er gått ned til de siste årene. Hun mener det er behov for å gjennomgå og systematisere det pågående arbeidet. (...)

Murder, suicide top medical deaths in pregnancy
reuters.com 26.10.2011
(Reuters Health) - Expectant mothers are more likely to die from murder or suicide than several of the most common pregnancy-related medical problems, U.S. researchers have found.

Roughly half of those women who died violently had had some sort of conflict with their current or former partners leading up to the death, causing experts to call for more thorough screening and follow up for domestic problems during pregnancy check-ups.

"I think that there's still an under-appreciation of the risk (for murder and suicide) and probably less screening than should be done," said Dr. Linda Chambliss, director of maternal fetal medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, who did not participate in the new work.

The study shows that about three out of every 100,000 women who are pregnant or have a child less than one year old are murdered, and two out of every 100,000 kill themselves.

Those numbers remained fairly constant from 2003 to 2007, the years that the researchers examined. (...)

Førte finanskrisen til at flere menn tok sitt eget liv?
aftenposten.no 25.10.2011
I 2009 var det en stor økning blant menn som tok sitt liv. Myndighetene lurer på om det kan være en sammenheng mellom selvmordene og finanskrisen.

13 prosent flere menn begikk selvmord i 2009 sammenlignet med året før. Det er det høyeste tallet på ti år.

Totalt tok 573 menn og kvinner sitt liv i 2009. Forekomsten av selvmord blant kvinner har vært konstant de siste 20 årene.

– I land i Europa med store økonomiske problemer, som Hellas og Portugal, opplever man en kraftig økning i antall selvmord. Vi ønsker derfor å se på om finanskrisen
i 2008 henger sammen med økningen i antall selvmord i 2009. Også i Danmark lurer man på om det er en sammenheng mellom finanskrisen og selvmord, sier lege og statistiker Per-Henrik Zahl ved Folkehelseinstituttet (FHI).

Personlig sårbarhet
I fjor tok 548 nordmenn sitt liv. Det var færre enn året før, men kurven har likevel snudd. Ifølge Statistisk sentralbyrå var forekomst av selvmord blant menn jevnt synkende i perioden 1991– 2005, for så å flate ut.

Folkehelseinstituttet følger utviklingen av selvmord nøye og har flere forskningsprosjekter der årsaksforhold til selvmord og selvmordsforsøk studeres.

– Vi har ikke grunnlag for å uttale oss om mulige årsaker til økningen i selvmord fra 2008 til 2009, sier Zahl.

FHI har ennå ikke startet arbeidet med undersøkelsen og vet ikke i hvilke alder mennene som tok sitt liv var, eller om de var i arbeid. Det er blant annet dette de ønsker se nøyere på. Selvmord forklares med et uheldig samspill av ytre og indre faktorer. De indre faktorene dekker alt fra alvorlig psykisk lidelse til personlig sårbarhet som av selvfølelse og frykt for å tape anseelse.

Vil forebygge
Fremskrittspartiet har bedt Stortinget utarbeide en arbeidsplan. – Vi ønsker at det forebyggende arbeidet skal styrkes, og at støtten til frivillige organisasjoner økes. Dessuten mener vi det er viktig å styrke oppfølgingen av pårørende og etterlatte, sier stortingsrepresentant Ib Thomsen. (...)

Nullvisjon
Frp mener det bør være en nullvisjon for selvmord i Norge.

– Det er viktig å sette seg høye mål. Det er mange samfunnsinstanser som bør implementeres i en slik handlingsplan. Barnehager, skoleverk, psykiatri og øvrig helsevesen, arbeidstager- og arbeidsgiverorganisasjoner og mange andre. Det er derfor viktig med en koordinert og massiv plan som griper fatt i de mange aspektene nyttet til selvmordsproblematikken, sier Thomsen.

Rundt 60 prosent av alle selvmord skjer i aldersgruppene under 50 år. Det er flere som tar sitt liv enn som dør i trafikken. Thomsen mener selvmord er et tema som må settes høyere på den politiske agendaen, slik at man kan bekjempe tabuer, sørge for et bedre forebyggende arbeid, samt legge til rette for bedre oppfølging av etterlatte etter mennesker som begår selvmord. (...)

Suicide Rates In England And Wales Might Be Wrong
medicalnewstoday.com 7.10.2011
Experts on bmj.com today warn that the increasing use of "narrative verdicts" made by coroners in England and Wales may lead to greater underestimation of suicide rates. The on-going research is partly funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

In 2009 suicides accounted for 4,648 deaths in England and Wales. At present, official statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are based on open verdict deaths, also known as "short-from" verdicts, issued by coroners after inquests into unexpected or unnatural deaths.

According to Professor David Gunnell at the University of Bristol and his colleagues from the Universities of Oxford and Manchester there is a pressing need for changes to ensure that national suicide statistics will be reliable in the future.

Since 2001, increasing numbers of coroners have summarized inquest findings in several sentences by writing a "narrative verdict" that records how and in what circumstances death occurred rather than issuing a short form verdict and although narrative verdicts have some advantages, they often omit to mention intent. The authors say that the ONS can encounter problems in categorizing deaths with no clear intents and therefore classifies them as 'accidental'.

Between 2001 and 2009 the number of narrative verdicts increased from 111 to 3,012, which is more than 10% of all inquests, with figures for 2010 suggesting that the numbers continue to increase. (...)

Absolute Risk of Suicide After First Hospital Contact in Mental Disorder
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(10):1058-1064 (October)
Context Estimates of lifetime risk of suicide in mental disorders were based on selected samples with incomplete follow-up.

Objective To estimate, in a national cohort, the absolute risk of suicide within 36 years after the first psychiatric contact. (...)

Conclusions This is the first analysis of the absolute risk of suicide in a total national cohort of individuals followed up from the first psychiatric contact, and it represents, to our knowledge, the hitherto largest sample with the longest and most complete follow-up. Our estimates are lower than those most often cited, but they are still substantial and indicate the continuous need for prevention of suicide among people with mental disorders. (...)

Psykisk hälsa
Självmord bland unga ökar
sverigesradio.se 3.10.2011
Det är fler personer mellan 15 och 24 år som begår självmord eller gör självmordsförsök i Sverige nu, jämfört med tidigare år. Under 2009 dog det varannan dag en ung person som tagit sitt eget liv.

Det är fler unga som tar eller försöker ta sitt liv nu jämfört med tidigare. 2009 dog det varannan dag en ung person genom självmord. Det är femtio procent fler än för tio år sen. Sven Bremberg jobbar som docent på Statens folkhälsoinstitut, och berättar om hur unga mår idag.

– Tjejerna mår dåligt, dubbelt så många upplever att de mår dåligt och gör självmordsförsök. Medan de som tar sina liv är killarna, säger Sven Bremberg, docent på Statens folkhälsoinstitut.

Det är ungefär sex personer som är mellan 15 och 24 år som varje dag försöker ta sitt liv i Sverige. Och varannan dag dör en ung person som begått självmord, det visar statistik från Socialstyrelsen från år 2009. (...)

Er en psykiatrisk pasients liv mindre verd?
Pascal G. E. Lhote - Generalsekretær i landsforeningen for Pårørende innen Psykisk helse
dagbladet.no 22.9.2011
Ingen viste medlidenhet med berørte parter da en psykiatrisk pasient mistet livet forrige uke.

Som tidligere terapeut i en psykiatrisk avdeling, husker jeg uttalelsen fra avdelingsoverlegen etter at en pasient hadde begått selvmord: «Det er slikt som skjer i psykiatrien». Så snudde han seg og gikk.

Tap av en pasient eller en medpasient fører normalt til at vår medlidenhet blir aktivisert, selv om vi vet at det verste ikke alltid kan unngås. Dersom vi kommer i en situasjon der fokus på regler og systemet blir viktigere enn genuin interesse for pasientene og de pårørende, ja, da er det noe alvorlig galt med det norske helsevesen. (...)

Army looking at how fish oil might reduce suicides
usatoday.com 20.9.2011
The Army is eager to know whether omega-3 fatty acids not only are good for the heart, but also might deter soldiers from killing themselves.

"I'm all over it, because I'm looking for something to help," says Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, who has been working for years to reduce the service's record number of suicides.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry last month showed that men in the service with low levels of an omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, were 62% more likely to commit suicide. The researchers compared routine blood samples taken from 800 servicemembers from 2002 to 2008 — and who months later committed suicide — with samples taken from 800 other servicemembers.

The authors say their findings do not suggest fish oil is a way to deter suicides. The Army suicide rate reached 22 per 100,000 last year, higher than civilians of the same age group. (...)

Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna raise the alarm: fewer autopsies distorts suicide statistics (Forskere ved det medisinske universitetet i Wien slår alarm om at færre obduksjoner gir skjeve selvmordsstatistikker)
healthcanal.com 13.9.2011 (Time)
In Austria, the number of autopsies carried out has fallen over the past 20 years from 35 per cent to 17 per cent.

"The reduced number of autopsies is reducing the quality of the official suicide statistics", says Nestor Kapusta from the University Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. This is also demonstrated by a study led by Kapusta involving data from 35 countries taken from suicide statistics and which has just been published in the renowned US journal "Archives of General Psychiatry".

In Austria, 1,300 people a year commit suicide, which is twice as many as the number of people killed in road traffic accidents. The number of unreported cases could be higher, however, since the quality of the suicide statistics is diminishing. Researchers at the MedUni Vienna are therefore - on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September 2011 - raising the alarm and asking for the "urgent preservation of the high quality of Austrian cause of death statistics and therefore also suicide statistics".

High autopsy rate, higher suicide rate
From a statistical perspective, a total of 2,139 people died in Austria from suicide 25 years ago, compared with 1,261 in 2010. Although this reduction in suicides can be attributed to the prevention work carried out since then, such as the development of the psycho-social system and greater numbers of support organisations, the results of the study suggest that the number of unreported cases is on the rise. Says Kapusta: "In countries with high autopsy rates, such as in the Baltic States or in Hungary, the suicide rate is higher than in countries with lower autopsy rates. Countries in which autopsy rates are falling are also increasingly seeing fewer recorded suicides.”

The results of the study represent a plea for more autopsies. "In an international comparison, Austria has always had an excellent quality of mortality statistics, but causes of death are being recorded with less and less detail. In older people especially, autopsies are now virtually never carried out. This concerns not only suicides, but also all causes of death. The United States has already warned of this development. There, national suicide statistics are already questionably low, with there appearing to be an epidemic of poisoning with unclear intention, which really cannot be trusted." (...)

(Anm: Declining Autopsy Rates and Suicide Misclassification (Reduserte obduksjonsrater og feilklassifisering av selvmord) Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(10):1050-1057 (October) (pdf).)

Study Links Low DHA Levels with Military Suicides
ohsonline.com 29.8.2011
The lead author of the retrospective study, Army Col. (Dr.) Michael D. Lewis, said they were surprised by how low the levels of omega-3 fatty acids were in the entire sample.

A study performed by researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., and scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism confirmed that the suicide risk among a sample of active-duty U.S. service members was highest for individuals with the lowest levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is the major omega-3 fatty acid concentrated in the brain. The study has been published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
The paper is titled "Suicide Deaths of Active-Duty US Military and Omega-3 Fatty-Acid Status: A Case-Control Comparison." (...)

Adding Atypical to SSRIs of No Benefit for PTSD
medscape.com 29.8.2011
August 29, 2011 — Adding the antipsychotic risperidone to a selective serotonin reuptake-inhibitor (SSRI) does not reduce the symptoms of military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests. (...)

At this time, SSRIs are the only FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for the treatment of PTSD. Within the Department of Veterans Affairs, 89% of veterans diagnosed with PTSD are prescribed SSRIs. The 2 SSRIs that have been approved for PTSD treatment are sertraline and paroxetine.

Second-generation antipsychotic medications are increasingly being added to PTSD treatment when symptoms do not respond to antidepressant therapy.

"There has been a proliferation of what you might call 'ad hoc' treatments for these patients," Dr. Krystal said. "This is the first study to test, on a large scale, if one of those treatments, developed from the art of medicine rather than the science of medicine, actually works."

The study was published in the August 3 issue of JAMA. (...)

(Anm: Adjunctive Risperidone Treatment for Antidepressant-Resistant Symptoms of Chronic Military Service–Related PTSD. JAMA. 2011;306(5):493-502 (August 3).)

One in 10 suicides is among people with a physical illness
BMJ 2011; 343:d5464 (26 August)
A report on the link between suicide and physical ill health has found that one in 10 people who take their own life is chronically or terminally ill.

The report, by think tank Demos, is one of the first such comprehensive studies to look at the links between suicide and physical ill health. It says that the figure, which came from coroners and primary care trusts (PCTs), is likely to be a substantial underestimate because coroners do not always include the relevant health information with their inquest reports.

Demos believes that the findings provide strong evidence that people with chronic and terminal illnesses should be regarded as a high risk group for suicide and should be given better “medical, practical, and psychological support.” (...)

Forskjell på tvang
LEDER
morgenbladet.no 19.8.2011
Siden Paulsrud-utvalgets rapport om bruk av tvang i psykiatrien ble lagt frem på forsommeren, har debatten rullet og gått i Morgenbladets spalter. Vi har fått innspill fra pårørende, pasienter og fagfolk. Før den formelle høringsrunden, kan det være på sin plass å oppsummere debatten så langt. Hva har vi lært? (...)

Idealet om frivillighet er spesielt komplisert. For når den det gjelder ikke kan ta ansvar for seg selv, hvem er da ansvarlig? I de aller fleste tilfeller av tvangsinnleggelse er det utslitte pårørende som ber om hjelp. Når det gjelder tvangsmedisinering, er bivirkningene så betydelige og effekten så diskutabel, at vi forstår de som synes døden er et mer fristende alternativ, slik den tidligere sykehuspresten Arnfinn Fiskå fortalte om den 15. juli. Det er forståelig at mange mener det vi trenger ikke er en tvangslov, men godt medmenneskelig skjønn. Like umenneskelig som å kreve at journalister skal finlese Vær Varsom-plakaten mens de står midt i hendelser som er så dramatiske at instinktene er det man navigerer etter, ville det være å kreve at helsearbeidere skulle stå rolig å se på pasienter på vei ut av vinduet, med henvisning til internasjonale menneskerettigheter. Men i spørsmålet om ansvar og strafferettslig tilregnelighet, kommer man likevel ikke unna jussen.

Når det gjelder det mer spesialiserte ordskiftet mellom fagfolk, sitter vi med en følelse av at frontene er så etablerte, og motsetningene så grunnleggende, at det dreier seg om mer enn faglig uenighet. Like viktig som de saklige argumentene er det å undergrave meningsmotstandernes motiver og etikk. Et av de mest interessante teoretiske innspillene kom sjeflege Jan Olav Johannessen med 5. august. Hvis terskelen for tvangsbehandling settes så høyt at man i praksis krever en fullt blomstrende psykose før man griper inn, nekter man seg den forebyggende effekten behandling også kan ha.

Frykten for feilmedisinering og bivirkninger er velbegrunnet. Men å tro at psykiatere ønsker seg flest mulig innlagte og kjemisk lobotomerte er urimelig konspiratorisk. (...)

Hormonbrist ökar självmordsrisken
svt.se 18.8.2011
Hormonet oxytocin har en direkt koppling till självmord. Det har forskare i Sverige kommit fram till. Nu hoppas man på nya behandlingar som kan förhindra självmord.
Oxytocin är ett hormon som utsöndras i kroppen när vi till exempel får massage eller när en mamma ammar sitt barn. Man tror att ämnet minskar stresskänslighet och får oss att må bra och fungera socialt.

Nu har forskare vid Karolinska institutet hittat ett tydligt samband mellan nivåerna av oxytocin i ryggmärgsvätska och allvarliga självmordsförsök.

I studien följde forskarna 28 personer som nyligen försökt genomföra ett självmord och jämförde dessa med 19 personer som inte var självmordsbenägna. Sambanden visade sig vara tydliga. (...)

Do You Lie to Your Doctor? (Lyver du til din lege?)
healthland.time.com 17.8.2011 (Time)
When asked by their doctors, patients fudge the truth about almost everything: how much they drink or smoke, how unhealthily they eat, how little they exercise, how many sexual partners they've had, what drugs they're taking — among other things.

Sometimes the small untruths are innocent oversights; other times, they're conscious misstatements. Either way, they matter. By withholding the facts, patients hamper their physicians' ability to give them proper care, potentially putting themselves at risk of adverse drug interactions or developing a preventable chronic condition.
The consequences can be even more serious. As the Arizona Republic's Connie Midey reported:

In a research review released this month, Mayo Clinic and University of Washington-Seattle researchers found that almost 45 percent of people who committed suicide had seen their primary-care physician weeks or even days before. Some of them may have told their doctor they felt suicidal, and some may have been asked but denied it. But the researchers said doctors pose the question to patients with depression in less than half of cases, putting the burden on patients to raise the subject — or to answer truthfully if asked.

A 2004 WebMD survey revealed that nearly half of 1,500 respondents knowingly lied or stretched the truth when speaking with their primary-care physicians, reported Midey.

"I think drinking and drug abuse are the two things that people most often tend not to be honest about," Dr. Andrew Carroll of the Renaissance Medical Group in Chandler, Ariz., told the Republic, noting that he was taught in medical school to double the amount of alcohol patients claimed to consume.
Regardless of the behavior, Carroll said, "if patients know they're doing something wrong, they don't tell us because they don't want to get a lecture. But we're not the cops. We're not going to bust anybody."

Read the full Arizona Republic story here. (...)

Warning as prison suicides ‘quadruple’ in three years
heraldscotland.com 15.8.2011
SUICIDES in Scottish prisons are believed to have quadrupled in the past three years, prompting calls for better provision of mental health support for a growing number of vulnerable prisoners.

Figures obtained by The Herald from the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) reveal the number of suicides behind bars rose to 12 in 2010/11 – the highest incidence in the past five years.

Labour last night seized on the figures, warning the current approach “isn’t working”. (...)

Youth suicides rise in step with film suicides
oncampus.macleans.ca 12.8.2011
Authors blame PG-13 rating for increasingly graphic portrayals

Authors of a report from the Annenberg Public Policy Center have shown a correlation between the dramatic rise in the portrayal of graphic suicides on film and the increase in the youth suicide rate.

Their study looked at 855 films produced between 1950 to 2006 and found that the number of explicit representations of suicide had tripled over the period. That increase paralleled the tripling of suicide by young people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S. from 1960 to 1990.

“While we cannot establish a causal connection here, it is interesting to note that the tripling of U.S. teen suicide since 1960 coincided with this increase in movie suicide portrayal,” Patrick E. Jamieson, the lead author, said in a press release. (...)

Myndigheter tränas i att bemöta självmordstankar
sverigesradio.se 9.8.2011
I år utbildas 2 000 offentligt anställda i hur man bemöter människor med psykisk ohälsa och självmordstankar. Projektet är ett försök i två län, men om det faller väl ut kan kursen erbjudas i hela landet i framtiden.

– Det är väldigt låg kunskap om det här viktiga ämnet. Jag hoppas att om resultatet blir positivt, att regeringen kommer att satsa på att implementera det i resten av Sverige, säger projektledaren och forskaren Gergö Hadlaczky på Nationell prevention av suicid och psykisk ohälsa, Nasp, vid Karolinska institutet.

I Sverige dör fler än 1 200 personer i självmord varje år. Det har också blivit vanligare att personer som kommer till försäkringskassan, arbetsförmedlingen och andra myndigheter hotar med att ta sitt liv. Men personalen har sällan fått någon utbildning i att hantera sådana situationer.

En granskning som Ekot har genomfört tidigare i år visar att bara sex av sjutton berörda myndigheter utbildar sin personal i de här frågorna.

Men det kan komma att förändras i framtiden. I år har Karolinska institutet fått fem miljoner kronor av regeringen för att genomföra en pilotstudie i självmordsförebyggande.

Totalt får 2 000 offentligt anställda i Västra Götaland och Västerbotten delta. (...)

Mayo Clinic: Primary Physicians May Hold Key to Suicide Prevention
sunherald.com 1.8.2011
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Every year millions of Americans think about taking their own lives. Sadly, each year tens of thousands die by suicide. While suicides can be a shock to family and friends, some warning signs exist. Often a simple question from a family doctor can be enough to start a person toward help and treatment.

VIDEO ALERT: Additional audio and video resources from Dr. Timothy Lineberry are available here.

A new review in the August issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings by researchers at Mayo Clinic and the University of Washington, Seattle highlights the opportunity primary care physicians have to establish a successful treatment plan for these patients. (...)

Midlife suicide on the rise: Record numbers of women aged between 40 and 69 are taking their own lives (Selvmord midt i livet øker: Rekordantall kvinner i alderen 40 til 69 tar sine egne liv)
bbc.co.uk 27.7.2011
Suicide rates among middle aged women have risen - and age-related illnesses may be partly to blame, suggests new research.

New research comparing age-specific suicide rates in the U.S. between 1998 and 2007, shows that women between the ages of 40 and 60 are more at risk of killing themselves than women of other ages, says the Today Show.

In 2007, 60 per cent of the 7,328 suicides reported among women were from this age group.
More...

• Generation of young women are putting off motherhood due to money worries
• Kindness is in our genes: How desire to do good deeds is hard-wired into us by evolution

Dr Julie Phillips, Ph.D., used data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau to study the nine-year period.

Her results show that suicide rates among women under 40 years old remained stable, while at over 70 years old, rates showed a decline.

But women in their middle ages, it appears, experienced worrying inclines in suicide rates.

And, more specifically, suicide attempts involving drugs have also been on the increase.

A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that emergency department visits for drug-related suicide attempts for women aged 50 or over has risen by 49 per cent. (...)

Dobbelt så mye:
Jenter bruker mest antidepressiva
p4.no 19.6.2008
Det viser tall P4 har hentet fra Reseptregisteret.

Ifølge statistikken er det dobbelt så mange jenter som gutter i alderen 10-19 år bruker medisinen.

-Jenter har lavere terskel for å kontakte lege, sier Jørgen Bramness, psykiater ved Folkehelseinstituttet, til P4. (...)

Suicide 'not just a youth issue'
stuff.co.nz 18.7.2011
Elderly suicides could be "slipping under the radar", and support workers are trying to raise awareness about an issue they say could get worse as the number of older people grows.

Nelson Bays Primary Health suicide prevention co-ordinator David Hough said while suicide was still the leading cause of death in Nelson-Marlborough for those aged 15 to 44, older men had some of the highest suicide rates in the world. (...)

"And we suspect there's under-reporting in the elderly age group," Mr Hough said.

Low awareness meant people were not necessarily looking for suicide as a cause of death in situations where an older person's death may appear accidental, such as drug overdoses, he said.

Attitudes and stigma towards suicide among the elderly also meant people thought it would be "easier to let it slip under the radar", than cause stress for the family, he said. (...)

Selvmord er ikke vakkert
ØYSTEIN STENE - regissør og manusforfatter- LINDA GABRIELSEN - manusforfatter
aftenposten.no 14.7.2011
Det er betenkelig at ingen psykologer vil problematisere film som fremstiller selvmord og depresjoner som noe vakkert og poetisk.

Fremstilling av selvmord
Vi ønsker denne debatten velkommen. Selvmord og selvskadende adferd angår altfor mange til kun å overlates til spesialister. Som filmskapere og forfattere undersøker vi temaet gjennom kunst, film og litteratur. Men det betyr selvsagt ikke at vi er fritatt ansvaret for hva vi sier og hvordan vi sier det.

Og her er det verdt å merke seg at vi har forskjellige språk og analyseredskap. Forskning rundt smittefare tar i stor grad utgangspunkt i statistikk og spesifikke former for klinisk analyse, men den er i liten grad opptatt av konteksten selvmord skildres i.

"Skal vi sykeliggjøre at livet ikke alltid oppleves meningsfullt, at vi ikke alltid er lykkelige, eller at vi i perioder ikke finner gode strategier for mestring av hverdagen?

Hvordan formidles selvmordet? Er det noe som aksepteres og legitimeres? Blir det beskrevet som den eneste løsningen, eller finnes det andre valg? Blir selvmordet estetisert, blir melankoli og dødsdrift skildret med et slør av noe poetisk og vakkert, eller formidles det på andre måter? (...)

Selvmord angår alle
På hjemmesidene til Rådet for psykisk helse, står «psykisk lidelse» som den primære årsak til selvmord. På denne måten er selvdestruktiv adferd omskrevet til noe sykt, noe som i utgangspunktet friske mennesker ikke blir rammet av.

Skal vi sykeliggjøre at livet ikke alltid oppleves meningsfullt, at vi ikke alltid er lykkelige, eller at vi i perioder ikke finner gode strategier for mestring av hverdagen? Eller skal vi tvert imot rydde plass for en større åpenhet om følelser som utilstrekkelighet og ubehjelpelighet. Uten å tenke at vi bør forsvinne fra jordens overflate av den grunn. (...)

Flere selvmord etter finanskrisen
nrk.no 8.7.2011
Finanskrisen falt sammen med en økning i selvmord i flere europeiske land. Antall døde i trafikken gikk imidlertid ned.

Det kommer fram i en foreløpig analyse av tall fra perioden 2007 til 2009 publisert i det medisinske tidsskriftet Lancet fredag, skriver Forskning.no.

En gruppe forskere i Storbritannia, USA og Belgia har publisert omfattende studier av sammenhengen mellom økonomiske kriser og dødsfall. De har tidligere sett på perioden 1970 til 2007 og har lagt fram tall som viser at hyppigheten av selvmord går opp når arbeidsledigheten i ett land stiger kraftig.

Nå har de tatt for seg finanskrisen i Europa og årene 2007 til 2009 og sett på tall fra 14 europeiske land.

Tallene viser en økning i antall selvmord hos mennesker under 65 år etter at finanskrisen slo inn med økt ledighet i 2008. Økningen i kom etter fem år med fallende tendens i selvmordshyppighet i denne aldersgruppen. (...)

(Anm: Effects of the 2008 recession on health: a first look at European data. Lancet 2011;378(9786):124 - 125 (9 July).)

Suicide not among top 10 causes of death: DOH
chinapost.com 5.7.2011
Suicide has dropped out of the top 10 causes for death in Taiwan for the first time since 1997, according to statistics released by the Executive Yuan Department of Health (DOH), yesterday morning.

Suicide ranked as the 11th top cause for death in 2010, and the tally for number of suicides in 2010 also reached its lowest since 2006. The drop is mainly credited to a rising percentage of notifications for cases of attempted suicides, the effort social workers put into visiting those reported to be suicidal, and the immediate treatment and support provided by rescuers, the DOH said.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), the suicidal death rate around the world has risen 60 percent in the past 45 years, and suicide has become one of the top three causes for death of young adults (ages 15-44). Also, WHO noted that suicide is a particularly prevalent cause of death in Asian countries.
One million people committed suicide around the world in 2000, or one attempted suicide every three seconds and one successful suicide every 40 seconds, according to WHO statistics. Judging from this rate, the WHO estimated that in 2020, 1.5 million people would die all around the world. (...)

Suicide in the Philippines: time trend analysis (1974-2005) and literature review
BMC Public Health 2011 (6 July)
Background Suicide prevention is given a low priority in many Western Pacific countries due to competing health problems, stigma and poor understanding of its incidence and aetiology. Little is known about the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behaviour in the Philippines and although its incidence is reported to be low, there is likely to be underreporting because of its non-acceptance by the Catholic Church and the associated stigma to the family. This study aims to investigate trends in the incidence of suicide in the Philippines, assess possible underreporting and provide information on the methods used and the reasons for suicide. (...)

Results The incidence of suicide in males increased from 0.23 to 3.59 per 100,000 between 1984 and 2005. Similarly, rates rose from 0.12 to 1.09 per 100,000 in females. (...)

While rates were lower compared to other countries, there is suggestive evidence of underreporting and misclassification to undetermined injury. Recent increases may reflect either true increase or better reporting of suicides.

Conclusions While suicide rates are low in the Philippines, increases in incidence and relatively high rates in adolescents and young adults point to the importance of focused suicide prevention programs. Improving data quality and better reporting of suicide deaths is likewise imperative to inform and evaluate prevention strategies. (...)

The reliability of suicide rates: An analysis of railway suicides from two sources in fifteen European countries
Journal of Affective Disorders 2011;31: 120-127 (June)
Background National suicide data are an underestimation of the actual number of suicides but are often assumed to be reliable and useful for scientific research. The aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion of the reliability of suicide mortality data by comparing railway suicides from two data sources. (...)

Conclusions Based on the data for railway suicides, it seems that the underestimation of suicide rates is significant for some countries, and that the degree of underestimation differs substantially among countries. Caution is needed when comparing national suicide rates. There is a need for standardisation of national death registration procedures at the European level. (...)

Drink and drugs 'fuelling suicide'
belfasttelegraph.co.uk 30.6.2011
Alcohol and drugs are fuelling homicide and suicide rates in Northern Ireland, an independent report said.

The problem is greatest among young people, with mental illness, substance abuse, drink, previous self-harm and deprivation contributing to most cases, the University of Manchester study added.

There were 332 suicides of young people over a nine-year period and last year, the number of suicides reached its highest figure ever.

Research author Professor Louis Appleby said: "In homicide and suicide generally, alcohol misuse was a more common feature in Northern Ireland than in the other UK countries and a broad public health approach, including better dual diagnosis of mental illness and alcohol or drug misuse, health education and alcohol pricing, should be seen as key steps towards reducing the risk of both homicide and suicide.

"In particular, there needs to be a focus on developing new services for young people with substance misuse problems." (...)

Søvn I: Søvnterapi mot selvmord
aftenposten.no 24.6.2011
Kognitiv adferdsterapi hjelper mot selvmordstanker, konkluderer en undersøkelse utført ved universitetet i Stanford. Terapien var i første rekke innrettet mot pasientenes søvnvansker, men man fant ut at de etter hvert skåret lavere på en depresjonstest, samt at de ble mindre plaget av tanker på selvmord. 300 personer deltok i undersøkelsen, som ble presentert i Sleep, en internasjonal søvnkonferanse i Minneapolis, nylig. (...)

Suicides on Britain's rail network 'reduced by 11%'
bbc.co.uk 17.6.2011
Network Rail has invested £5 million into training for suicide prevention techniques

The number of suicides on Britain's rail network has dropped by 11% in the past year, according to figures from the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

They showed 207 deaths in the year from April 2010, down from 233 in the previous 12 months.

The rail authority said extra training for staff provided by the Samaritans had been a key factor in the reduction.

Last year, Network Rail set a target to reduce the number of suicides by 20% within five years.

"We know that rail staff who have undertaken the Samaritans' training programme have already been able to intervene in potential suicides," said David Higgins, chief executive of Network Rail, who own and operate Britain's rail structure.

"Each suicide is a tragedy for the individuals and families involved, as well as having an inevitable impact on rail staff and passengers." (...)

Fewer rail suicides in Scotland
news.stv.tv 17.6.2011
Programme run by the Samaritans has helped raise awareness of the issue and has increased support.

The number of suicides on the rail network in Scotland has fallen, according to new figures released by the Samaritans.

Following 16 suicides on the rail network in Scotland between 2009/20101, the number of deaths for 2010/2011 has fallen to 13.

The reduction follows the Samaritans introducing a programme to raise awareness of the issue among rail network staff and to offer support and help with prevention. (...)

In addition to aggravating heart and lung illnesses, air pollution may increase susceptibility to suicide, provocative new research suggests. Exactly how air pollution might increase this susceptibility, however, remains to be determined. (...)

Breathing Polluted Air Linked to Suicide Risk
Psychiatr News 2011;46(12):32 (June 17) (American Psychiatric Association)
If air pollution can heighten suicide risk, as a new study suggests, then the challenge is to understand how. Perhaps it increases impulsivity and aggression or interacts with existing medical illnesses.

For many years, scientists have reported intriguing links between climate or weather factors and mental health and behavior. (...)

TTC introduces suicide prevention program
torontosun.com 17.6.2011
TORONTO - A new TTC public awareness program aimed at helping prevent subway suicides was unveiled Thursday.

“This is about bringing hope, Crisis Link brings hope to people who are in distress,” TTC chairman Karen Stintz said during a press conference at Yonge-Bloor station. “Imagine standing alone anywhere in a time of crisis, now there is hope at the press of a single button.”

Stintz spoke from the heart about why she fully supports the program. (...)

3000 selvmord etter tsunamien
nrk.no 17.6.2011
Japanske myndigheter har i vår fryktet en selvmordsbølge etter naturkatastrofene som rammet landet i mars. Nå viser tall fra politiet at spådommene har blitt til virkelighet.

Tall fra politiet viser at antall japanere som tar sitt eget liv har steget kraftig. Bare i mai måned begikk over 3000 selvmord.

Det er 20 prosent flere enn i samme måned i 2010, melder politiet.

Selvmordstallet var nedadgående
Inntil tsunamien inntraff i mars i år, var mengden selvmord nedadgående i Japan, som har blant verdens høyeste selvmordsrate.

Det er spesielt nord i landet, der den kraftige flodbølgen ødela utallige byer og befolkningen er rammet av en stadig eksisterende radioaktiv forurensning, at folk har valgt å ta sine liv. Det skriver den danske nettavisen Politiken.dk. (...)

Army suicides at highest level in a year
cnn.com 16.6.2011
Washington (CNN) -- May was the worst month in a year for suicides and potential suicides in the active-duty Army, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The Army reported 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in May. One of them has been confirmed; the other 20 are under investigation. In the past, most of the cases investigated were confirmed to be suicides.

May's number was the highest for one month since June 2010, which at the time was the worst month in recent memory for Army suicides.

There were also 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in June 2010, but that month also saw 11 potential suicides among the Guard and Reserves. Last month, there were six potential suicides in the National Guard and Reserves, so June 2010 remains worse.

The latest data continue to show that suicide statistics in the Army frequently fluctuate. April saw 16 potential suicides, more than twice the number in March, when seven cases were investigated.

The Army says it's tough to know why suicide cases increase even as the entire Pentagon is trying to solve the problem. But spokesman Lt. Col. Steve Warren said, "a spike in cases does not necessarily mean a trend." (...)

Jente tok sitt eget liv etter voldtekt
nrk.no 10.6.2011
Rosenborg ungdomsskole flagget på halv stang mandagen etter at niendeklassingen hadde tatt livet sitt.

Ei 14 år gammel jente tok sitt eget liv etter hun skal ha blitt overfalt og voldtatt av tre gutter. Tre andre ofre sliter med store ettervirkninger etter overfallsvoldtekter i Trondheim denne våren. (...)

National Study of Suicide in All People With a Criminal Justice History
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68(6):591-599 (June)
Objective To examine suicide risk over 3 decades among all people processed by a national criminal justice system. (...)

Conclusions We examined a section of society in which major health and social problems frequently coexist including offending, psychopathology, and suicidal behavior. The need for developing more far-reaching national suicide prevention strategies is indicated. In particular, improved mental health service provision is needed for all people in contact with the criminal justice system, including those not found guilty and those not given custodial sentences. Our findings also suggest that public services should be better coordinated to tackle co-occurring health and social problems more effectively. (...)

High suicide rates related to anti-smoking drug Chantix were 'left out of crucial safety review' (Høye selvmordsrater relatert til antirøykelegemidlet Chantix var "utelatt i avgjørende sikkerhetsgjennomgang")
dailymail.co.uk 2.6.2011
Hundreds of reports of suicides and violent reactions tied to the stop-smoking drug Chantix were left out of a crucial government safety review.

The reports were missing because the drug’s manufacturer Pfizer Inc. submitted years of data through 'improper channels', according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Serious problems — such as people killing themselves, trying to kill themselves, depression and unprovoked attacks on others — were mixed among 26,000 records of non-serious side effects such as nausea and rashes dating back to 2006, the year Chantix, or varenicline, was approved.

Cases of 150 suicides, more than doubling those previously known, were among 589 delayed reports of severe issues uncovered in new analysis by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).

Thomas J Moore, the senior scientist who analysed the data for the non-profit ISMP, said: 'It’s really chilling. This seems to unleash something in people. It can be violence to anything around. We’ve had a major breakdown in safety surveillance.'

His analysis echoes previous horror stories that Chantix can induce extreme reactions in people trying to quit cigarettes, including vivid nightmares, crippling depression and violent outbursts.

Federal Food and Drug Administration officials said that they asked Pfizer to resubmit thousands of records after realising that the company was sending required reports in an inappropriate format that could not be added to the agency’s Adverse Events Reporting System, or AERS.

The agency said: 'Last year, the FDA became aware that a few manufacturers were submitting adverse events reports to FDA through improper channels.' (...)

ER visits by suicidal women have doubled (Antall besøk på akuttmottaket for suicidale kvinner er doblet)
msnbc.msn.com 21.5.2011
Visits by older women after suicide tries are tied to insomnia, anxiety drugs, study finds

The number of emergency department visits by women 50 and older after drug-related suicide attempts has increased sharply in recent years, according to a new study.
From 2005 to 2009, the number of women in this age group who were taken to the ER for attempted suicide involving drugs increased 49 percent.

While this increase from 11,235 in 2005 to 16,757 in 2009, reflected the overall population growth of women aged 50 and older, the researchers say the increased role of certain pharmaceuticals was particularly dramatic. For example, the number of annual cases involving oxycodone tripled (from 1,895 in 2005 to 5,875 in 2009), and there was a two-thirds increase in the number of cases involving hydrocodone (from 4,613 in 2005 to 7,715 in 2009), Both are narcotic pain relievers.

In addition, emergency department visits for suicide attempts involving drugs to treat anxiety and insomnia increased 56 – percent (fom 32,426 in 2005 to 50,548 in 2009) among females during this period.

"The steep rise in abuse of narcotic pain relievers by women is extremely dangerous, and we are now seeing the result of this public health crisis in our emergency rooms," said Pamela S. Hyde, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the organization that conducted the report.

Emergency rooms should not be the frontline in our efforts to intervene. Friends, family and all members of the community must do everything possible to help identify women who may be in crisis and do everything possible to reach out and get them needed help." (...)

Drug-Related Suicide Attempts Rise Sharply Among Older Women (Legemiddelrelaterte selvmordsforsøk øker kraftig hos eldre kvinner)
myhealthnewsdaily.com 19.5.2011
The number of emergency department visits by women 50 and older after drug-related suicide attempts has increased sharply in recent years, according to a new study.
From 2005 to 2009, the number of women in this age group who were taken to the ER for attempted suicide involving drugs increased 49 percent.

While this increase from 11,235 in 2005 to 16,757 in 2009, reflected the overall population growth of women aged 50 and older, the researchers say the increased role of certain pharmaceuticals was particularly dramatic. For example, the number of annual cases involving oxycodone tripled (from 1,895 in 2005 to 5,875 in 2009), and there was a two-thirds increase in the number of cases involving hydrocodone (from 4,613 in 2005 to 7,715 in 2009), Both are narcotic pain relievers. (...)

Nytt funn kan gi færre selvmord
nrk.no 7.5.2011
Illustrasjonsfoto: Betennelser i hjernen kan være en utslagsgivende årsak til depresjoner, viser ny, svensk forskning.

Snart vil man kunne identifisere selvmordsutsatte pasienter ved hjelp av en vanlig blodprøve, hevder svenske forskere.

En ny studie fra et forskningsteam i Lund viser at pasienter som har forsøkt å begå selvmord har høyere nivåer av signalmolekylet interleukin-6 (IL-6) i blodet.

De høye nivåene av IL-6 skilller risikogruppen fra andre deprimerte pasienter og friske forsøkspersoner.

Så snart man har funnet ut hvor de utslagsgivende grenseverdiene går, betyr dette at man ved hjelp av en enkel blodprøve vil kunne oppdage på et tidlig tidspunkt om en pasient er i faresonen eller ikke.

LES OGSÅ: Derfor begår noen selvmord

Tyder på en betennelse i hjernen
Ifølge Svenska Dagbladet har en tidligere studie av de samme forskerne vist at personer som har vært gjennom selvmordforsøk har unormalt høye nivåer av IL-6 i ryggmargen.

I den nye studien går de enda lenger ved å hevde at man ved hjelp av en enkel blodprøve kan se målbare forskjeller mellom de to gruppene. (...)

Freight-Train Suicide Autopsies Spark Rail Industry Prevention Measures
clinicalpsychiatrynews.com 5.5.2011
Major Finding: People who commit suicide by freight trains have pervasive, comorbid psychopathology. They also are likely to be familiar with railroads, to live near the tracks, and to not have access to a gun.

Data Source: Psychological autopsies on 62 freight-train suicides.

Disclosures: The study was funded by a federal grant to the Railroad Research Foundation, an industry group that contracted the American Association of Suicidology to do the research. Neither Dr. Berman nor Dr. Sundararaman reported disclosures.

PORTLAND, ORE. – People who kill themselves by freight train are similar to others who commit suicide in other ways, but perhaps suffer more severe mental illness, social isolation, and poverty, according to psychological autopsies conducted on 62 recent freight train suicides.

But they have a handful of unique features, too, according to the autopsies, which were conducted by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) for the Railroad Research Foundation, an industry group that supplied data from eight major freight lines that was gathered from June 2007 through September 2010. The foundation is using the findings to develop prevention measures.

Not uncommonly, the subjects were spotted wandering the tracks or looking up train schedules before their suicides, and they often lived near the tracks – 47 (76%) within 1 mile, 53 (86%) within 2 miles. (...)

Brain Damage Found in NFL Veteran Who Took Own Life
news.sciencemag.org 2.5.2011
Researchers this morning confirmed what former National Football League player Dave Duerson must have feared when he shot himself in the abdomen back in February, killing the 51 year old who had starred for several teams as a safety. An autopsy study showed that Duerson’s brain was riddled with classic signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of brain damage that is becoming an increasing concern among athletes in violent contact sports. Duerson’s form of suicide was apparently carefully chosen to preserve his brain as he had texted his family that he wanted the organ to be examined at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE).

At a press conference there today, researchers reported that there was evidence of moderately advanced CTE in several regions of Duerson’s brain, including the frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, which play roles in impulse control, mood, memory, and other cognitive functions. “Dave Duerson had classic pathological CTE and no sign of any other disease,” neuropathologist and CSTE Co-Director Ann McKee told the press conference. McKee notes that there’s evidence suggesting CTE predisposes people to suicide, although how remains unclear; a colleague called it a “chicken and the egg problem,” explaining that CTE may cause problems in life that encourage suicides rather than specifically promote suicidal behavior by altering the working of the brain. (...)

Forutser selvmordsforsøk
aftenposten.no 29.4.2011
Hittil har det vært vanskelig å forutsi hvem som står i særlig fare for å begå selvmord, men nå er et instrument utviklet som kan gjøre akkurat det. Metoden måler graden av tilstanden hyporeaktivitet: En biologisk betinget mangel på evne til å reagere på omgivelsene. Det er professor i eksperimentell psykiatri Lars Håkan Thorell som beskriver metoden i SR Vetenskapsradion. I Sverige mener man at 97 prosent av dem som har tatt sitt liv de siste 25 år, led av hyporeaktivitet. (...)

Frykter selvmordsbølge i Japan
nrk.no 26.4.2011
Japanske myndigheter tilbyr hjelpetelefoner og terapi for å forhindre en selvmordsbølge i det kriserammede landet.

Mens japanske soldater leter etter flere døde etter jordskjelvet og tsunamien som la store deler av nord- og østkysten i grus i mars, gir stadig flere japanere opp og tar sitt eget liv.

– Jeg synes synd på disse menneskene på samme måte som dem som døde av tsunamien. Men de døde ikke av tsunamien, de døde etterpå, sier Naoko Sugimoto som leder en nasjonal støttegruppe til Los Angeles Times.

Selvmord er den ledende dødsårsaken blant japanske menn i alderen 20 til 44 år, og kvinner i alderen 15 til 34 år.

Ifølge avisen blir det begått et selvmord hvert 15. minutt, og de siste 13 årene er det registrert over 30.000 årlige selvmord.

I kjølvannet av skjelvet og tsunamien har flere tatt sine egne liv fordi de ikke finner barna sine, eller fordi de mistet alt de eide. (...)

People in happier countries more likely to commit suicide: study
vancouversun.com 25.4.2011
Iceland, pictured, is amoung, a number of countries with "relatively high happiness levels," but also notably high suicide rates.

Is being surrounded by happiness driving some people to kill themselves?

It's the suggestion being raised by a new study that found people living in some of the world's happiest countries — including Canada — are disproportionately more likely to commit suicide.

The troubling paradox is explored in work from researchers at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and Hamilton College in New York.

They say the research shows that a number of countries, including Canada, the United States, Iceland, Ireland and Switzerland, have "relatively high happiness levels," but also notably high suicide rates.

They suggest people struggling with self-esteem may get even more discouraged when they see others around them thriving. (...)

Study Ties Suicide Rate in Work Force to Economy
nytimes.com 14.4.2011
The suicide rate increased 3 percent in the 2001 recession and has generally ridden the tide of the economy since the Great Depression, rising in bad times and falling in good ones, according to a comprehensive government analysis released Thursday.

Experts said the new study may help clarify a long-clouded relationship between suicide and economic trends.

While many researchers have argued that economic hardship can raise the likelihood of suicide in people who are already vulnerable — like those with depression or other mental illnesses — research has been mixed. Some studies have supported such a link, but others have found the opposite: that rates drop in periods of high unemployment, as if people exhibit resilience when they need it most. (...)

Paxil May Increase Suicide Risk for Patients with Major Depression: Study
aboutlawsuits.com 11.4.2011
The antidepressant Paxil may increase the risk of suicide among individuals who are already suffering from major depressive disorders, according to new research.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, which was funded by the drug’s maker, GlaxoSmithKline, found that some individuals taking Paxil were more likely to consider suicide than individuals who were given a placebo. (...)

(Anm: Seroxat (Paxil) (paroxetine; paroksetin) (SSRI) (mintankesmie.no).)

Oslo-politiet brøt loven 265 ganger på to måneder
nrk.no 3.4.2011
Innsatte som sitter lenge på glattcelle skader seg selv

(VG Nett) Oslo politidistrikt overholder ikke 48-timersregelen for bruk av glattcelle. I fjor var det minst 121 innsatte som forsøkte å skade seg selv i desperasjon.

Oslo-politiet har påbegynt et arbeid for å kartlegge alle selvmordsforsøk og hendelser hvor pågrepne personer forsøker å skade seg selv etter innlåsing på glattcelle.

Ifølge rapporten var det 65 tilfeller av forsøk på selvskading i første halvår i fjor. Tallene for andre halvår er ikke klare, men ser ut til å ende på 56.

Totalt var det minst 121 tilfeller i Oslo politidistrikt alene. (...)

Les også: Politibot etter selvmord i arresten (...)

Smoking linked to increased risk of suicide: study (Røyking linket til økt risiko for selvmord ifølge studie)
montrealgazette.com 28.3.2011
OTTAWA — Here's another reason not to smoke — it has now been linked with an increased risk of suicide, independent of mental illness.

A novel new Canadian study of almost 35,000 adults found nicotine dependence is associated with suicide attempts regardless of the mental disorders and physical disease that often accompany suicidal behaviour.

It also supports previous research that describes nicotine as a "psychological toxin" that causes chemical changes in the brain associated with suicide.

What's more, the work by the universities of Manitoba and Saskatchewan found suicidal tendencies diminished significantly among people who had quit smoking for at least a year. Former smokers were not only less likely to have attempted suicide than current smokers, but were less suicidal than lifelong non-smokers, which should give added momentum to smoking cessation programs.

These are important findings in a controversial field. Some previous studies have found a relationship between nicotine and suicide, but did not adjust for the effects of mental disorders.

The new study does and finds "this relation persists even after adjusting for a broad range," of mental and personality disorders and physical disease.

The research, to be published in coming days in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, opens a new avenue in the campaign to eradicate smoking, the leading cause of preventable death in Canada and worldwide. (...)

Derfor begår noen selvmord
nrk.no 21.3.2011
Nesten 40 prosent er påvirket av alkohol når de tar sitt eget liv. Perfeksjonisme og svekket selvfølelse kan være knyttet til selvmordsadferd.

Stadig flere opplever å miste noen nære i selvmord. De siste 15 årene har det vært en svakt fallende trend i selvmordsdødelighet i Norge.

Men så snudde det. I 2009 tok 573 personer sitt eget liv, og det er nesten tre ganger så mange som antall dødsfall i trafikken. Foreløpig vet vi ikke hvorfor denne trenden er brutt. (...)

- Det er forhøyet fare ved psykiske lidelser. I tillegg viser en del undersøkelser at svekket selvfølelse kan være en årsak. For eksempel hvis selvfølelsen er basert på at en skal være veldig flink og prestere maksimalt. Man har så høye krav til seg selv at det brister den dagen en ikke yter topp, sier Dieserud til NRK Puls. (...)

First Risk Index for Suicide Prevention
medicalnewstoday.com 11.3.2011
Although thousands of people commit suicide worldwide each year, researchers and doctors do not have any method for evaluating a person's likelihood of thinking about or trying to commit suicide. An international group of scientists, in which the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM) has participated, has devised the first risk index in order to prevent suicides.

"It is of key importance to identify suicidal thoughts among people at increased risk. The most important contribution that our study has made is an international risk index to estimate the likelihood of a person moving on from these thoughts to any one of the following behaviours - planning or trying to commit suicide", Jordi Alonso, head of the IMIM Healthcare Services Research Group, tells SINC.

The data used in the study, which also involved Josep M. Haro, a researcher at the Sant Joan de Déu Healthcare Park, and which has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, come from the World Health Organisation (WHO) survey World Mental Health Surveys between 2001 and 2007, in which 108,705 adults from 21 countries responded to the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. (...)

The impact of inpatient suicide on psychiatric nurses and their need for support
BMC Psychiatry 2011 (8 March)
Background The nurses working in psychiatric hospitals and wards are prone to encounter completed suicides. The research was conducted to examine post-suicide stress in nurses and the availability of suicide-related mental health care services and education.

Methods Experiences with inpatient suicide were investigated using an anonymous, self-reported questionnaire, which was, along with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, administered to 531 psychiatric nurses. (...)

Conclusions These results indicated that nurses exposed to inpatient suicide suffer significant mental distress. However, the low availability of systematic post-suicide mental health care programmes for such nurses and the lack of suicide-related education initiatives and mental health care for nurses are problematic. The situation is likely related to the fact that there are no formal systems in place for identifying and evaluating the psychological effects of patient suicide in nurses and to the pressures stemming from the public perception of nurses as suppliers rather than recipients of health care. (...)

First Aid and Suicide Prevention
ivanhoe.com 4.3.2011
More than 750,000 people will attempt suicide in the United States this year, and according to suicide.org, about 30,000 of those Americans will die. With the hopes of lowering those numbers, the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course teaches people how to identify and respond to people who are depressed, or are suffering from mental illness. (...)

"When you ask someone, 'are you thinking of killing yourself' are you putting that thought in their mind? No. That's a myth. People believe that, so they don't ask. In actuality you're actually opening up the space to talk about what's going on for them," Dudek said.

When it comes to helping someone who is depressed or suicidal, MHFA instructors train participants to practice listening rather speaking. Instructors say it's best to let the depressed individual talk. Statistics show 80 percent of individuals who get help for depression recover, but only one in three actually get treatment. (...)

Tiltalt for medvirkning til selvmord
aftenposten.no 27.2.2011
På Nord-Jæren er to unge mennesker tiltalt for å ha hjulpet en 17 år gammel jente til å ta livet av seg. Mandag begynner rettssaken mot dem i Stavanger tingrett.

De tiltalte er en ung mann og en ung kvinne som begge var i tenårene da de skal ha medvirket til at en 17 år gammel jente tok sitt eget liv. De to tiltalte har erkjent straffskyld, skriver NTB.

Politiet startet etterforskning i saken kort tid etter at 17-åringen døde i mars i fjor. Tiltalene gjelder brudd på straffelovens paragraf 236, som omhandler medvirkning til selvmord, melder aftenbladet.no. (...)

For Some Troops, Powerful Drug Cocktails Have Deadly Results (For noen soldater, har kraftige cocktailer av legemidler dødelige resultater)
nytimes.com 18.2.2011
In his last months alive, Senior Airman Anthony Mena rarely left home without a backpack filled with medications.

He returned from his second deployment to Iraq complaining of back pain, insomnia, anxiety and nightmares. Doctors diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and prescribed powerful cocktails of psychiatric drugs and narcotics.

Yet his pain only deepened, as did his depression. “I have almost given up hope,” he told a doctor in 2008, medical records show. “I should have died in Iraq.”

Airman Mena died instead in his Albuquerque apartment, on July 21, 2009, five months after leaving the Air Force on a medical discharge. A toxicologist found eight prescription medications in his blood, including three antidepressants, a sedative, a sleeping pill and two potent painkillers.

Yet his death was no suicide, the medical examiner concluded. What killed Airman Mena was not an overdose of any one drug, but the interaction of many. He was 23.

After a decade of treating thousands of wounded troops, the military’s medical system is awash in prescription drugs — and the results have sometimes been deadly. (...)

Drugs Pose Danger to Our Veterans and Service Members
huffingtonpost.com 21.2.2011
The figures have become familiar: the number of veterans and troops in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder are at record levels: 300,000 men and women. What isn't so well known is what most of these people experience when they turn to the military for help. They get prescriptions for serious drugs. Multiple prescriptions.

Prozac, Effexor, Elavil or Trazodone for depression. Paxil for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety. Zoloft for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety. Wellbutrin for depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder. Celexa for anxiety, panic attacks, ADHD. Valium for anxiety and insomnia. Klonopin, Ativan, or Xanax for anxiety and panic attacks. Topamax for migraines. Percocet, Lyrica, or OxyContin for pain. Adderall or Ritalin for ADD, or ADHD. Haldol, Risperdal or Seroquel for psychosis. Ambien, Lunesta, or Restoril for insomnia.

A group of veterans I had the honor and privilege of meeting with recently shared how this pharmaceutical approach to their physical and emotional pain and inability to sleep -- which I discovered is a universally disabling consequence of combat -- quickly alienates them, producing cynicism towards the VA. "They just push pills," one man told me. "They act as if there's a quick fix: just pop these pills." (...)

Risiko for selvmord etter hjerteinfarkt
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2011; 131 (18.2.2011)
Der er økt risiko for selvmord etter et akutt myokardinfarkt, særlig for personer med tidligere psykiatrisk lidelse (Circulation 2010; 122: 2388–93). Dette er konklusjonen i en populasjonsbasert pasient-kontroll-studie fra Danmark. I perioden 1981–2006 døde nesten 20 000 personer i alderen 40–89 år i selvmord.
Risikoen for selvmord var høyest i den første måneden etter utskrivelse for myokardinfarkt. For pasienter uten tidligere psykiatrisk lidelse var det tre ganger økt risiko (RR 3,25), sammenliknet med personer uten tidligere infarkt. Risikoen var høyest for personer i alderen 40–49 år. Selv om risikoen var høyest i den første måneden etter infarktet var det fortsatt økt risiko i minst fem etterfølgende år. (...)

For enkelt om selvmord
aftenposten.no 15.2.2011
Replikk
ANITA JOHANNA TØRMOEN - spesialist i pedagogisk-psykologisk rådgivning, stipendiat ved Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning
og -forebygging
ERLEND MORK - psykologspesialist/forsker, Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging
FREDRIK A. WALBY - sjefpsykolog, Diakonhjemmet sykehus, forsker ved Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging
LARS MEHLUM - professor, dr.med./leder, Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og –forebygging
Det er problematisk når et komplisert og sammensatt fenomen som selvmordsforsøk blir fremstilt ensidig og lite nyansert, slik tilfellet er på forsiden i Aftenposten 10. februar. «Derfor forsøker unge å ta sitt eget liv: Foreldrekrangel kan utløse selvmordsforsøk». Vi mener oppslaget tegner et misvisende bilde.

Overskrift og ingress gir inntrykk av at foreldrekrangler og skilsmisse isolert sett er årsak til selvmordsforsøk hos ungdom. Her har man bygget på en enkeltstudie med et relativt beskjedent informasjonstilfang og konkluderer på tvers av etablert bred kunnskap. Resultatet er en overforenkling av de komplekse årsaksforhold som oftest ligger til grunn for et selvmordsforsøk hos ungdom. (...)

Hver dag forsøger tre piger selvmord med piller
fpn.dk 12.2.2011
Antallet af såkaldte Panodil-piger stiger med eksplosiv hast Danmark.

På bare et enkelt år er antallet af piger og unge kvinder mellem 12 og 20 år, der er blevet indlagt med forgiftning efter at have taget lettere smertestillende midler som Panodil, Pamol og Pinex, steget med 25 procent - fra 899 i 2008 til 1.135 i 2009, skriver Dagbladet Information.

På 10 år er antallet af forgiftninger og selvmordsforsøg firdoblet - en stigning, der kan forklares med en nem adgang til pillerne, der ofte bliver solgt i store pilleglas på 100 eller 300 piller.

Derfor bør man begrænse adgangen og gøre de store pakker receptpligtige, lyder det samstemmende fra læger, psykologer, Børns Vilkår og Panodil-producenten medicinalfirmaet GlaxoSmithKline. (...)

(Anm: paracetamol (no.wikipedia.org).)

Criminal Prosecution Linked to Increased Suicide Risk (Rettsforfølgelse av kriminelle linket til økt selvmordsrisiko)
doctorslounge.com 10.2.2011
Individuals with a history of criminal justice prosecution, particularly those sentenced to psychiatric treatment, have an elevated suicide risk compared to the general population, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Archives of General Psychiatry. (...)

Highest risk for women offenders, those sentenced to psychiatric treatment, and those acquitted (...)

"Aside from prisoners and ex-prisoners, a much wider group of men and women processed by the criminal justice system has elevated suicide risk. Previous contact with secondary care psychiatric services is common, which highlights the opportunities for suicide prevention in this population," the authors write. (...)

(Anm: National Study of Suicide in All People With a Criminal Justice History. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 (Published online February 7).)

Foreldrekrangel kan utløse selvmordsforsøk
aftenposten.no 10.2.2011
Relasjonskonflikt ofte årsak til at unge vil ta sitt eget liv

Nesten 30 prosent av ungdoms selvmordsforsøk skyldes foreldre som håndterer en skilsmisse dårlig.

En ny studie fra Folkehelseinstituttet viser at ungdommer som har forsøkt å begå selvmord, oppgir en relasjonskonflikt som hovedårsak. 1 av 3 gutter og 1 av 4 enter i tenårene fortalte at den utløsende eller bakenforliggende årsaken til selvmordsforsøket var konflikter knyttet til foreldrenes skilsmisse. I tillegg oppga ngdommene krangling mellom foreldre som fortsatt er gift, og krangling mellom foreldre og nye partnere som årsaker. (...)

Røde Kors mener at det ofte ligger mer bak et selvmord enn en skilsmisse. Marianne Børke, leder av Kors på Halsen, Røde Kors sitt landsdekkende samtaletilbud or alle under 18 år, kjenner seg ikke helt igjen i problemstillingen at ungdom forsøker selvmord etter foreldrekrangel. – Umiddelbart tenker jeg at dette blir for lett.

Selvmordsforsøk bunner ofte i en komplisert problematikk, og det dreier seg ofte om mer enn en vanlig skilsmisse. Det kan være vold i familien, seksuelle overgrep ller lignende som ligger bak. En skilsmisse kan selvfølgelig være det som utløser selvmordsforsøket. (...)

Ny dom gjør selvmord til en menneskerett
tv2nyhetene.no 7.2.2011
Den europeiske menneskerettighetsdomstolen, som også kan overprøve norsk rett, har gjort selvmord til en menneskerett.

Den manisk deprimerte sveitseren Ernst G. Haas har to ganger forsøkt å ta sitt eget liv, og han akter å prøve på nytt. Nå har han fått medhold i at han ikke bare har rett til å ta sitt eget liv, men den sveitsiske staten må dessuten hjelpe ham!

– Retten anerkjenner at individet har rett til å avgjøre hvordan og når livet skal avsluttet er en del av retten til respekt for sitt privatliv, skriver Menneskerettighetsdomstolen i Strasbourg i en pressemelding.

Prinsipp-diskusjon
Denne domstolen håndhever den europeiske menneskerettskonvensjonen, som også Norge har forpliktet seg til å følge. Retten til respekt for privatlivet fremgår av artikkel 8 i konvensjonen.

– Jeg tror denne dommen kommer nå, fordi dommerne mener at det er en viktig prinsipiell diskusjon om retten til å ta sitt eget liv. De sier klart at det ikke er straffbart å prøve å ta selvmord, slik som det har vært tidligere, sier seniorforsker Stephanie Lagoutte ved Dansk institutt for menneskerettigheter til Kristeligt Dagblad. (...)

Papageno-effekten
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2011; 131:209 (4.2.2011)
Unge Werthers lidingar gikk nylig på Det Norske Teatret. Goethes kjærlighetsroman fra 1774 ender i selvmord, og rykter om en selvmordsbølge i Europa fulgte i bokens fotspor. Slik mulig selvmordssmitte kalles gjerne Werther-effekten, og det er bakgrunnen for de presseetiske reglene om varsomhet ved omtale av selvmord. Nylig har forskere vist at medieomtale av mennesker som overvinner en suicidalkrise kanskje kan forebygge selvmord. De foreslår å kalle dette for Papageno-effekten etter rollefiguren i Tryllefløyten som mistet sin elskede og planla selvmord, men ble reddet ved at noen minnet ham på bedre alternativer. (...)

Pasienter med selvmordsrisiko dårlig sikret
tv2nyhetene.no 28.1.2011
Stavanger universitetssjukehus (SUS) sikrer ikke pasienter med selvmordsrisiko på en forsvarlig måte. Det er konklusjonen etter en stikkprøvekontroll foretatt av Helsetilsynet i fjor høst.

Ifølge Stavanger Aftenblad viser tilsynsrapporten at SUS har svakheter i systemene som skal sikre pasienter med selvmordsrisiko.

Fylkeslege Pål Iden sier til avisen at selvmordsrisikovurdering ikke var gjennomført og dokumentert på forsvarlig måte hos alle pasienter. Konklusjonen baserer seg på en stikkprøvekontroll av utvalgte pasientjournaler og samtaler med ansatte på flere nivåer i klinikken.

Iden sier at gode og systematiske selvmordsvurderinger skal bidra til å forebygge det mest alvorlige utfallet ved alvorlig psykisk lidelse.

Fylkeslegen sammenligner dette med en pasient som innlegges med akutt hjerteinfarkt. Det er et opplagt krav at en slik pasient legges på overvåking i den fasen da det er størst risiko for alvorlige komplikasjoner, som for eksempel hjertestans, påpeker Iden. (©NTB)

Parents' Divorce May Contribute to Suicidal Thoughts Years Later
business.dk 20.1.2011
For men, other childhood stressors increase risk even more, study finds

THURSDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Adults who were children when their parents divorced are more likely to seriously consider suicide than adults who grew up in intact families, according to a new study. (...)

Men whose parents divorced when they were children were three times more likely to seriously consider suicide (suicidal ideation) than other men. Adult daughters of divorced parents were 83 percent more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those whose parents stayed married.

The connection between divorce and suicidal ideation was particularly strong for men who grew up in families with childhood stressors, such as physical abuse, parental addiction and parental unemployment. (...)

Many Surgeons Have Contemplated Suicide, Study Finds
news.yahoo.com 18.1.2011
TUESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that as many as one in 16 U.S. surgeons harbored suicidal thoughts in the previous year, but few sought help from a mental-health professional.

Researchers analyzed surveys completed by 7,905 members of the American College of Surgeons in 2008 and found that 501 (6.3 percent) said they had thought about suicide within the past year.

Surgeons more likely to report suicidal thoughts included those who were aged 45 and older; they were 1.5 to three times more likely to have such thoughts than people in the general population. Divorced surgeons also had a higher risk. Being married and having children was associated with a lower risk, the study found. (...)

(Anm: Suicidal Ideation Among American Surgeons. Arch Surg. 2011;146(1):54-62 (January).)

Flere selvmord i høyden
forskning.no 14.1.2011
Folk som bor høyereliggende strøk har høyere selvmordsrate, og forskerne vet ikke hvorfor. Det er konklusjonen i en studie av dødsårsaker fra 2584 storkommuner i USA.

Dataene er fra perioden 1979 til 1998, og analysen av dem overrasker forskerne, blant annet fordi funnene ikke passer inn i det generelle dødelighetsbilde i høyden.

Faktisk er det en lavere dødelighet blant folk som bor slik til i USA. Forskerne så en sammenheng mellom høyereliggende hjemsted og selvmord, selv etter å ha tatt med flere kjente selvmordsrisikofaktorer i regnestykket. (...)

(Anm: Positive Association between Altitude. and Suicide in 2584 U.S. Counties. High Altitude Medicine & Biology 2011:12(1).)

Tre valgte døden
morgenbladet.no 14.1.2011
I forrige måned tok tre soldater som tidligere har tjenestegjort i utlandet livet sitt.

Bare i løpet av desember måned 2010, så mistet Norge 5 tidligere soldater også (som vi vet om), som i sykdom og fortvilelse tok sitt eget liv, ødelagt av tjenesten ute.

Det skrev Wiggo Johan Pedersen i kommentarfeltet på bloggen «Anna Kathrines blogg» 2. januar i år.

Er det sant? Hvem er de? Vi ringer Pedersen. Han viser til Ronny Jahre, leder i Warfog, et forbund for krigsinvalide. Jahre kan bekrefte at tre tidligere soldater tok sitt eget liv i desember. To av dem hadde vært i Libanon, én i Kosovo. En var en av hans nærmeste kollegaer fra krigen i Libanon.

Jahre hevder desember 2010 ikke var noen uvanlig desember måned når det gjelder tidligere soldater som tar sitt eget liv.

– Både da og rundt påske mister vi mange. Mens verden spirer og gror, sitter det en fyr på hybelen og orker ikke mer. Og når disse tidligere soldatene først har bestemt seg, så skjer det, sier Jahre. (...)

Politiet bøtelagt etter selvmord på arresten
aftenposten.no 6.1.2011
Politiet på Hamar er ilagt 50.000 kroner i bot av Spesialenheten for politisaker etter at en 49 år gammel mann tok sitt eget liv i arresten i fjor.

Spesialenheten mener Hamar-politiet ventet for lenge med å fremstille 49-åringen for varetektsfengsling, skriver VG.

Etter straffeprosessloven skal det maksimalt ta tre dager fra en pågripelse skjer til den pågrepne blir fremstilt for varetektsfengsling. Politiet på Hamar ventet i fire døgn før de gikk til retten. Dagen etter tok 49-åringen sitt eget liv på cella.

Sjefen for Spesialenheten, Jan Egil Presthus, sier det er alvorlig at politiet ikke følger reglene for hvor lenge den fengslede skal sitte før han fremstilles for varetekt. Både politimesteren og bistandsadvokaten har kommet med sine anmerkninger. Saken blir endelig avgjort av Riksadvokaten. (...)

Mange forgiftes av paracetamol
vg.no 28.12.2010
Siden 2005 har paracetamol stått bak hver fjerde alvorlige selvforskyldte forgiftning med legemidler her i landet. (...)

I 2003 fikk Giftinformasjonen i underkant av 500 henvendelser om legemiddelet paracetamol. I 2009 var antall henvendelser steget til over 1.000.

- Paracetamol er det legemiddelet som hyppigst er involvert ved både selvpåførte overdoser og overdoser som skyldes feilmedisinering, sier Berit Muan i Helsedirektoratet, ifølge Apotekforeningens tidsskrift. (...)

I perioden fra 2003 til 2008 var det smertestillende legemiddelet årsak til 35 dødsfall på grunn av feil bruk.

Det er først og fremst kvinner som bruker legemiddelet feil, i aldersgruppen mellom 10 og 18 år er over 80 prosent kvinner. (...)

Overdoser med smertestillende øker blant unge jenter
aftenposten.no 27.12.2010
Kobles til at det i fjor ble tillat å selge reseptfrie medisiner på bensinstasjoner, butikker og kiosker.

Sverige rystes over at antall overdoser med smertestillende tabletter øker sterkt blant unge jenter, skriver Svenska Dagbladet.

Utviklingen kobles til at det i fjor ble fritt frem i Sverige å selge reseptfrie medisiner på bensinstasjoner, kiosker og butikker, slik det har vært i Norge siden 2003. (...)

- Ingen økning med paracet
Det finnes ikke tilsvarende undersøkelser som tyder på ekstra mange overdoser blant unge jenter i Norge.

Det reseptfrie salget av smertestillende tabletter i Norge, startet i praksis på nyåret 2004. To år senere foretok Legemiddelverket en undersøkelse ved de største sykehusene i Oslo og Akershus.

- Antallet blodprøver som ble tatt for å påvise eventuelle økninger, viste ingen økning med paracetamol, sier avdelingsoverlege Steinar Madsen i Legemiddelverket til Aftenposten.no. (...)

Severe Allergies Linked to Suicides (Alvorlige allergier linket til selvmord)
newsmaxhealth.com 28.12.2010
People with severe nasal or skin allergies may have a higher suicide risk than the allergy-free, a new study suggests — although the reasons are not yet clear.
Reviewing medical records for more than 27,000 suicide victims, Danish researchers found that just more than 1 percent had ever been hospitalized for severe nasal allergies or eczema. That compared with 0.8 percent among nearly 468,000 adults studied for comparison.

When the researchers weighed other factors — like people's incomes and history of mental health disorders — those treated for severe allergies had a one-third higher risk of suicide than people with no history of allergies.

While that difference sounds large, the risk to any one person with serious allergies would still be quite small.

"We did find an increased risk for suicide associated with severe allergy — however, the risk is not particularly high," said lead researcher Dr. Ping Qin, of Aarhus University in Denmark.

So allergy sufferers, Qin said in an e-mail, should not be alarmed. (...)

– Dramatisk økning av selvmord
nrk.no 23.12.2010
Stadig flere velger å ta sitt eget liv. I 2009 var det 13 prosent flere enn året før som valgte å ta selvmord.

Lege og statistiker ved Folkehelseinstituttet, Per Henrik Zahl, mener utviklingen er dramatisk.

– I hele Norge har det vært en ganske flat forekomst av selvmord i snart 20 år. De siste to årene har det steget dramatisk. Generelt er det tre ganger flere menn enn kvinner som tar sitt eget liv, og det er i alle aldre fra 15 år og oppover, sier han.

Antall registrerte selvmord har de siste ti årene vært forholdsvis stabilt med 500-550 registrerte selvmord per år. Antallet har variert mellom en topp på 583 i 1999 og en bunn på 494 i 2002. Dette tilsvarer gjennomsnittlig 12.2 selvmord per 100 000 innbyggere per år for perioden 1999-2008.

I 2009 var det 573 personer som valgte å ta sitt eget liv, mot 505 i 2008. Det viser en oversikt fra Statistisk sentralbyrå. (...)

Blodprop kan føre til selvmord
netdoktor.com 15.12.2010
Mange, der overlever en livstruende sygdom, føres til selvmord eller tankerne derom. Nu viser det sig, at også patienter, der har overlevet en blodprop i hjertet, er i risikozonen. Værst er det i den første måned efter blodproppen, hvor risikoen er 3,25 gange højere end normalt.

”Vi ved allerede, at mange hjertepatienter lider af angst og depression, så det er måske ikke helt overraskende, at det hos nogle fører til selvmord”, siger læge og ph.d.-studerende Karen Kjær Larsen, som er hovedforfatter til undersøgelsen, der er blevet udført på Institut for Folkesundhed ved Aarhus Universitet.

Ved at sammenligne 20.000 selvmord i perioden 1981 til 2006 med 200.000 tilsvarende mennesker, der ikke tog deres eget liv, har man fundet frem til selvmordsrisikoen. Resultaterne viser et klart billede af, at blodpropsoverlevende er stærkt repræsenterede.

Hjertepatienter med en tidligere psykiatrisk diagnose træder særligt frem i resultaterne. Deres selvmordsrisiko er 64 gange forhøjet efter en blodprop i hjertet. En undersøgelse fra Hjerteforeningen viser, at kun en tredjedel af hjertepatienterne tilbydes psykisk hjælp.

”De nye tal om øget risiko for selvmord viser endnu en gang, at rehabilitering er en livsvigtig del af behandlingen”, siger formanden for Hjerteforeningen, overlæge Peter Clemmensen.

Selvmordsrisikoen generelt er ikke særlig høj og har i øvrigt været faldende siden 1990. På årsbasis tager omkring 600 danskere deres eget liv. Tidligere undersøgelser har vist, at også kræftsygdomme, blodpropper i hjernen og andre livstruende sygdomme fører til øget risiko for selvmord. Det skyldes formentlig det chok, som kroppen og psyken får.

”Uanset hvorfor disse mennesker ender med at finde livet ubærligt, så understreger min undersøgelse behovet for en forebyggende indsats mod depression efter blodprop”, siger Karen Kjær Larsen. (...)

Mark Madoffs sidste udvej: Selvmord
berlingske.dk 12.12.2010
Mark Madoff – den seneste i rækken af fallerede rigmænd, der har berøvet sig selv livet.

Rigmænd hænger ofte deres ego op på økonomisk succes, og når pengene er væk - er deres ego også væk, og som Mark Madoff vælger de den sidste udvej.

Hvorfor begik Mark Madoff selvmord?

Han havde sine børn, sin kone, sit helbred, og han havde stadig penge - så hvorfor i alverden sige farvel og hænge sig i en hundesnor? (...)

Veteran Suicides Increasing Over Time
kpbs.org 9.12.2010
A new analysis of veteran suicides in California shows older veterans continue to be more at risk than civilians, even decades after their combat experience is over.

The “Bay Citizen,” a web news outlet, analyzed suicides by County in California between 2005 and 2008, and found veterans are killing themselves at a rate more than twice civilians with no military service. The numbers don’t get any better over time, in fact they get worse as veterans get older. (...)

Probing the Genome to Understand Suicide
Am J Psychiatry 167:1425-1427 (December 2010)
In conclusion, the most important genetic study of suicidal behavior has not brought up any genetic variant that could be used as a predictor of suicide risk. This does not weaken the robust conclusion of family, twin, and adoption studies that liability to attempted and completed suicide is heritable. Since the study did not include rare genetic variants, environmental exposures or treatment, the results do not exclude an important role of genetic variants in suicidal behavior. In the absence of a genetic test, personal and family history of suicidal behavior remain the best indicators of liability to suicide. Advance in knowledge about the genetics of suicidal behavior can be expected from studies including rare variants and studies of suicidality during specific treatment. (...)

Kraftig økning i antall selvmord
aftenposten.no 5.12.2010
Nye tall viser at det ble registrert 573 selvmord i 2009. (...)

Folkehelseinstituttet følger utviklingen av selvmord nøye, og Avdeling for selvmordsforskning ved Divisjon for psykisk helse har flere forskningsprosjekter
der årsaksforhold til selvmord og selvmordsforsøk studeres.

– Vi har ikke grunnlag for å uttale oss om mulige årsaker til økningen i antall selvmord i 2009, sier avdelingsleder Gudrun Dieserud ved Folkehelseinstituttet. (...)

Antall selvmord stiger
nrk.no 3.12.2010
De siste 15 årene har selvmordsdødeligheten sunket. Nå stiger tallene igjen, opplyser Folkehelseinstituttet. 573 selvmord ble registrert i 2009.

Tallene fra 2009 viser en sterk økning på 13 prosent fra 2008, da ble det registrert 505 selvmord.

Det er menn som topper statistikken med 69 flere selvmord for 2009. Dette gjelder menn i alle aldersgrupper. For kvinner sank antallet med en fra 2008 til 2009. Tallene for kvinner har ligget stabilt de siste 15 årene.

Tallene fra 2009 viser en sterk økning på 13 prosent fra 2008, da ble det registrert 505 selvmord.

Det er menn som topper statistikken med 69 flere selvmord for 2009. Dette gjelder menn i alle aldersgrupper. For kvinner sank antallet med en fra 2008 til 2009. Tallene for kvinner har ligget stabilt de siste 15 årene. (...)

Female Vets Much More Likely to Commit Suicide, Study Finds
nlm.nih.gov 3.12.2010
Those aged 18 to 34 were about 3 times more likely than civilian women to do so

THURSDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The suicide rate among young female U.S. military veterans is nearly three times higher than among civilian women, a new study has found.

Researchers analyzed data on 5,948 female suicides in 16 states between 2004 and 2007. In the 18-to-34 age group, there were 56 suicides among 418,132 veterans and 1,461 suicides among 33,257,362 nonveterans.

That suicide rate amounted to one out of 7,465 young female veterans compared with one out of 22,763 young female civilians, the researchers explained in a news release from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). (...)

Alvorlig sinnslidelse kan skjules for de nærmeste
aftenposten.no 1.12.2010
Ofte er handlinger som dette begått avmenneskermedenalvorlig sinnslidelse eller en tung depresjon som går over ienpsykotisk tilstand.

Psykiater og forsker ved Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter for vold og traumatisk stress, Sverre Varvin, sier det hender at tilsynelatende friske personer viser seg å være dypt deprimerte eller ha en alvorlig sinnslidelse.

Han sier at krenkelse i livet kan forsterke lidelsene. Varvin presiserer at han ikke er spesialist påmenn somdreper hele familienogseg selv, menstøtter seg på studier fra litteraturenogundersøkelser.

– En av grunnene til manglende kunnskap er fordi alle de involverte dør, sier han. Varvin sier likevel at et sentralt tema i litteraturen er adskillelse. – Vi ser at drapshandlinger og selvdrap at oppstått når adskillelse har vært et tema, og hvor mannen er engstelig for å bli forlatt.Noenundersøkelser viser også at sjalusi kan forsterke disse følelsene, sier han. Ofte er handlinger som dette begått avmenneskermedenalvorlig. (...)

Indias fattigste sitter igjen med skam og gjeld
aftenposten.no 1.12.2010
En selvmordsbølge blant fattige låntakere kan føre til at det indiske systemet med mikrofinans kan bryte sammen. Konsekvensene kan bli store for de norske bidragene.

Over 50 selvmord blant fattige låntagere har skapt frykt for at hele systemet med mikrofinans i India skal bryte sammen. En kredittørke kan få alvorlige følger også for norske bidrag. Ordningenmedsmå lånfor å hjelpe fattige folk i utviklingsland ut av fattigdommen, skjøt fart da Grameen Bank i Bangladesh og grunnleggeren Muhammad Yunus fikk Nobels fredspris i 2006 for sin pionérinnsats med mikrokreditt. På få år har mikrofinans vokst til å bli et betydelig innslag i Indias finansvesen.

Selvmordsbølgen i delstaten Andhra Pradesh i høst har midlertidig stanset pengestrømmen til slike låneordninger. Myndighetene i delstaten etterforsker nå 56 selvmord begått de siste to månedene, som alle skal være knyttet til inndriving av mikrolån, opplyser R. Subrahmanyan i regionaldepartementet til Reuters. (...)

Suicide risk increases after heart attack
reuters.com 30.11.2010
(Reuters Health) - People are more likely to commit suicide in the wake of a heart attack -- and some are more at risk than others, new study findings report.

In the immediate aftermath of a heart attack the risk of suicide rises dramatically among people with a history of mental illness. These patients are about 60 times more likely to commit suicide than people who did not experience either a heart attack or mental illness.

Even for patients with no history of mental illness, the risk for suicide is tripled in the month after a heart attack - and the risk remains elevated for at least five years. This was true for both men and women, and regardless of socioeconomic status. (...)

Det blir bedre
nrkbeta.no 25.11.2010
Det siste året har flere homofile ungdommer i USA tatt sitt eget liv etter å ha blitt mobbet. Kan det sosiale nettet hindre flere selvmord?

Justin Aaberg (15) fra Minnesota hengte seg i sommer, etter å ha blitt mobbet. Ifølge Queerty.com har fem elever ved denne skolen tatt livet sitt det siste året og tre av selvmordene antas å være knyttet til seksuell identitet. (...)

Two Cases Link Painkiller to Risk of Suicide (To tilfeller linker smertestillende til risiko for selvmord)
medpagetoday.com 24.11.2010
The painkiller ziconotide (Prialt) may cause an increase in suicidal ideation, experts warned.

Two recent cases "substantiate the suspicion of a causal relationship between ziconotide and suicidality," reported Christoph Maier, MD, of the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and colleagues.

Because of the risk, patients should undergo a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation before and during treatment with the drug, Maier and colleagues argued online in Pain.

Ziconotide, a synthetic version of a toxin derived from a marine snail, was approved in the U.S. in 2004 on the basis of an orphan drug designation. Delivered intrathecally, it was regarded as a safe alternative to morphine in cases of severe pain that did not respond to other medications.

However, neurological and psychiatric complications including ataxia, gait disturbances, confusion, and abnormal thinking have been reported and have led to a black box warning ordered by the FDA, although no such warning has been issued in Europe, Maier and colleagues noted.

But there has been no specific warning on an increased risk of suicide, they reported.

The two cases, however, support "the suspicion of ziconotide-induced suicidality," they argued. (...)

(Anm: Increased risk of suicide under intrathecal ziconotide treatment? – A warning. Pain 2010 (20 November).)

Suicide and unintentional poisoning mortality trends in the United States, 1987-2006: two unrelated phenomena? (Trender for selvmord og utilsiktede forgiftningsdødsfall i USA 1987-2006; to ikke-relaterte fenomen?)
BMC Public Health. 2010;10:705 (Nov 17)
BACKGROUND: Two counter trends in injury mortality have been separately reported in the US in recent times - a declining suicide rate and a rapidly rising unintentional poisoning mortality rate. Poisoning suicides are especially difficult to detect, and injury of undetermined intent is the underlying cause-of-death category most likely to reflect this difficulty. We compare suicide and poisoning mortality trends over two decades in a preliminary assessment of their independence and implications for suicide misclassification. (...)

CONCLUSIONS: The official decline in the suicide rate between 1987 and 2000 may have been a partial artifact of misclassification of non-elderly suicides within unintentional poisoning mortality. We recommend in-depth national, regional, and local population-based research investigations of the poisoning-suicide nexus, and endorse calls for widening the scope of the definition of suicide and evaluation of its risk factors. (...)

(Anm: Obduksjoner, dødstall og dødsårsaker. (mintankesmie.no).)

Association of suicide attempts with acne and treatment with isotretinoin: retrospective Swedish cohort study
BMJ 2010; 341:c5812 (11 November)
(...) Conclusions An increased risk of attempted suicide was apparent up to six months after the end of treatment with isotretinoin, which motivates a close monitoring of patients for suicidal behaviour for up to a year after treatment has ended. However, the risk of attempted suicide was already rising before treatment, so an additional risk due to the isotretinoin treatment cannot be established. As patients with a history of suicide attempts before treatment made new attempts to a lesser extent than did patients who started such behaviour in connection with treatment, patients with severe acne should not automatically have isotretinoin treatment withheld because of a history of attempted suicide. (...)

Report: Paxil, Other Drugs May Be Responsible for High Army Suicide Rate (Rapport: Seroxat (Paxil) og andre legemidler kan være ansvarlig for det høye antall selvmord innen militæret)
lawyersandsettlements.com 9.11.2010
Washington, D.C.: A recent report from the United States Military suggests that the high suicide rate among American troops may be one of many Paxil side effects, according to the Epoch Times.

Washington, D.C.: A recent report from the United States Military suggests that the high suicide rate among American troops may be one of many Paxil side effects, according to the Epoch Times.

According to the report, in 2009 the Army saw 239 suicides and 1,713 suicide attempts. Additionally, there were 146 deaths due to drug overdoses or high-risk behavior.

The report also found high rates of use of psychoactive medication like Paxil, with the number of troops aged 18 to 34 using such drugs rising by 85 percent since 2003. In total, one out of every six troops currently uses psychoactive medications.

The news source reports that Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, who served as Secretary of the Navy in the 1980s, said that this high rate of use is "pretty astounding and also very troubling" during a congressional hearing.

"I feel flat-out that psychiatrists are directly responsible for deaths in our military, for some of these suicides. I think it's criminal, what they are doing," Retired Colonel Bart Billings, a former Army psychologist, told the Marine Times.

READ MORE [ PAXIL BIRTH DEFECTS ARTICLES ] (...)

Krisen driver rigmænd til selvmord
business.dk 8.11.2010
Mangemilliardæren Adolf Merckle havde svimlende beløb på risikable investeringer.

Det er ikke kun penge, rigmænd har mistet under krisen. Den har også kostet dem livet. Ny bog beskriver, hvordan flere har følt så meget skam over at miste formuen, at de har begået selvmord. Psykologformand er ikke overrasket.

Penge er ikke noget, man taler om i de kredse. Det er bare noget, man har. De er en ligeså naturlig del af ens hverdag som at trække vejret.

Finanskrisen fik imidlertid mange velhavere til at gispe efter vejret. Den ellers konstant flydende pengestrøm tørrede ud. Og skammen over at miste formuen og sætte familiens trygge og behagelige liv over styr har flået flere rigmænd til at vælge den ultimative udvej - selvmord. (...)

Brain functional changes (QEEG cordance) and worsening suicidal ideation and mood symptoms during antidepressant treatment
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2010; 122(6) : 461–469 (December)
Brain functional changes (QEEG cordance) and worsening suicidal ideation and mood symptoms during antidepressant treatment.

Objective:  Antidepressant medications are efficacious overall; however, some individuals experience worsening mood symptoms and increased suicidal ideation (SI) during treatment. We examined the quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) cordance biomarker of brain function biomarker in relation to treatment-emergent symptom worsening. (...)

Conclusion:  Hypothesis-generating results suggest a pattern of functional changes in midline and right frontal brain regions associated with antidepressant treatment-emergent SI in MDD. (...)

The Higher People Live, the Greater the Suicide Risk
Psychiatr News 2010;45(21):1 (November 5) (American Psychiatric Association)
The findings point the way to uncovering metabolic changes in the brain that may occur at high altitudes among individuals with existing psychiatric illness (including substance abuse), raising their risk for suicide.

Living at high altitude might be a contributing factor in some suicides.

That's the surprising finding from a study evaluating the relationship between average county and state altitude in the United States and total age-adjusted suicide rates, firearm-related suicide rates, and nonfirearm-related suicide rates.

The association may be related to the effects of metabolic stress associated with mild hypoxia in individuals with mood disorders, say lead author Perry Renshaw, M.D, Ph.D., and colleagues.

The study appeared online in AJP in Advance September 15. (...)

Ba om smålån, ble gjeldsslaver
aftenposten.no 2.11.2010
Over 50 selvmord blant fattige låntagere har skapt frykt for at hele systemet med mikrofinans i India skal bryte sammen. En kredittørke kan få alvorlige følger også for norske bidrag. (...)

Aggressivt salg
Låneagenter skal ha drevet med aggressivt salg av slike lån på den indiske landsbygda. Mange låntagere tar også opp flere små lån og havner i en gjeldsfelle når de ikke klarer å betale renter og avdrag.

De siste ukene har indiske banker frosset alle nye lån til slike mikrofinansselskaper etter selvmordsbølgen i delstaten Andhra Pradesh. Politiske myndigheter i delstaten anklager låneagenter for å ha drevet med råsalg av lån og benyttet brutale inkassometoder. (...)

US Soldiers' Suicides Caused by Prescription Drugs?
theepochtimes.com 1.11.2010
The suicide rate among U.S. troops is astonishing.
In 2009 there were 239 suicides within the Army, including the Reserves, 160 active duty suicides, 146 active duty deaths from drug overdoses and high-risk behavior, and 1,713 suicide attempts, says the Army’s suicide report released in July.

More troops are dying from their own hands than in combat, says the Army report, titled “Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention.” Thirty-six percent of the suicides were among troops who were never deployed.

Also astonishing is the psychoactive prescription drug rate among active duty-aged troops, aged 18 to 34, which is up 85 percent since 2003, according to the military health plan, Tricare. Including family prescriptions, since 2001, 73,103 prescriptions for Zoloft have been dispensed, 38,199 for Prozac, 17,830 for Paxil, and 12,047 for Cymbalta. All of the drugs carry a suicide-warning label.

In addition to the spike in SSRI antidepressant prescriptions, prescriptions for the anticonvulsants Topamax and Neurontin rose 56 percent in the same group since 2005, says Navy Times. The FDA warned last year that taking these drugs doubles suicidal thinking.

In fact, 4,994 troops at Fort Bragg, N.C., are on antidepressants right now, says the Fayetteville Observer. Six hundred and sixty-four are on an antipsychotic and “many soldiers take more than one type of medication.”

Troops may also be taking Chantix, an antismoking drug so linked to violence and self-harm that Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake was forced to defend its use before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs in 2008 even in drug trials. (...)

Kan bli syke av å skilles
vg.no 1.11.2010
** Bedratte får psykiske problemer
** Risikoen for selvmord mangedobles
** 25 prosent blir sykmeldt

Samlivsbrudd kan være en dramatisk, psykisk belastning. Den 42 år gamle småbarnsfaren skrev avskjedsbrev til barna da ekskona gikk fra ham. (...)

Ulike forskningsstudier viser at samlivsbrudd kan få enorme konsekvenser for dem som berøres. Blant annet er selvmordsrisikoen fire til seks ganger høyere for personer som har vært gjennom et brudd eller en skilsmisse. (...)

Army study seeks best suicide prevention programs
washingtonpost.com 28.10.2010
DENVER -- Military medical researchers say their efforts to reverse the rising number of suicides among servicemembers are based on "good ideas," but they don't know which prevention programs work and which don't. They launched a $17 million study Wednesday to find out.

None of the current training programs is evidence-based, said Army Col. Carl Castro, director of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program at Fort Detrick, Md.

"It's good ideas - experts think that this is what we need to do - but we do not have any evidence that that training actually in fact prevents suicide," he said. (...)

Advarer mot overlege i akuttpsykiatrien
nrk.no 14.10.2010
To pasienter tok livet sitt, en tredje opplevde å bli grovt krenket av samme psykiater. Statens helsetilsyn får kraftig kritikk for ikke å ha reagert overfor en overlege på akuttpsykiatrisk avdeling.

Alle tre sakene ble meldt til Statens helsetilsyn, men endte med mildeste reaksjon - en advarsel, og han fortsatte i jobben som før. (...)

- Nok med advarsel
Statens helsetilsyn forsvarer at den aktuelle legen kun har fått en advarsel i denne saken.

- En advarsel er en klar tilbakemelding om at ting må gjøres annerledes. Og dersom behandlingen ikke endres, vil det være grunnlag for en strengere reaksjon, sier avdelingsdirektør Gorm Grammeltvedt i Statens helsetilsyn.

Han bekrefter at Helsetilsynet kan frata legen autorisasjonen i enkelte saker. (...)

Pettigrew døde av overdose
dagbladet.no 13.10.2010
Den tidligere verdensmesteren tok sitt eget liv. (...)

Obduksjonen viste at han hadde tatt en overdose av et medikament som ofte benyttes som sovemedisin eller mot allergi. (...)

Folk fulgte med via webcam
Svensker hængte sig selv live på nettet
bt.dk 12.10.2010
En svensk mand begik mandag selvmord i en direkte transmission over internettet. Det skriver flere svenske medier.

Flere chokerede personer var vidne til, at en svensk mand tog sit eget liv i en live transmission på internettet.

Politiet blev hurtigt gjort opmærksom på situationen, men kom for sent til at kunne redde manden. (...)

Is There a Gay Teen Suicide Epidemic?
livescience.com 8.10.2010
In the wake of the suicide death of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, the nation's attention has been focused on what many have called an epidemic of gay teen suicides.

For example, Ciara Thomas, a writer for the website HealthyPlace.com ("America's Mental Health Channel") states that, "For a number of years, researchers have known that one-third of all teenagers who commit suicide are gay. In one sense, this statistic is incredibly shocking...This means that they are 300 percent more likely to kill themselves than heterosexual youth."

Indeed, that statistic has been widely repeated over the past few weeks, including by Unitarian Minister Debra Haffner in a piece published in the Washington Post a few days ago: "We have known for more than thirty years that at least one third of all suicides to teens are to gay youth," Haffner told the newspaper. (...)

Å ikke være
morgenbladet.no 8.10.2010
Selvmordsforsker Anders Barstad kan godt forstå Shakespeares Hamlet.

– Likestilling fører indirekte til selvmord, hevder du i NRK. Det er litt av en tabloid slutning.

– Det er en påstand som må nyanseres. Det jeg har grunnlag for å si, er for det første at samlivsoppløsning sannsynligvis er en risikofaktor for selvmord, og det gjelder mer for menn enn for kvinner. For det andre er likestillingsideologien antagelig en av mange krefter som har bidratt til å øke antallet samlivsoppløsninger i deler av etterkrigstiden. Indirekte kan vi dermed si at likestillingsideologien kan ha bidratt til noen selvmord. Selvmordsraten økte veldig kraftig fra begynnelsen av 1970-tallet til slutten av 80-tallet. Etter dette har det vært en nedgang på nesten 40 prosent for menn. De siste to årene er vi tilbake på samme nivå som på begynnelsen av 70-tallet.

– Men det har ikke vært 40 prosent nedgang i skilsmisser.

– Nei, det er sant. Samtidig har oppslutningen om likestillingsideologien gradvis blitt sterkere. (...)

– Umulig å bevise sammenhengen mellom likestilling og selvmord
nrk.no 6.10.2010
(...) SSB-forsker Anders Barstad mener det er en tydelig sammeneheng mellom samlivsbrudd og selvmord.

Leder av Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og –forebygging, Lars Mehlum, tror det blir for snevert å sette likestillingen i sammenheng med norske menns selvmord.

Sosiolog Anders Barstad ved SSB har nylig gjennomgått 50 års selvmordsstatistikk i Norge. Han mener å se en klar sammenheng mellom likestilling og samlivsbrudd i Norge med selvmord hos menn. (...)

Les mer fra undersøkelsen Likestilling og livskvalitet. (...)

No Link Found Between Decrease In Suicide And Newer Antidepressants (Ingen link funnet mellom reduksjon i selvmord og nyere antidepressiva)
medicalnewstoday.com 1.10.2010
Many researchers have studied the relationship between the increase in sales of new antidepressants in recent decades and a simultaneous decline in the suicide rate. In a study based on figures from the Nordic countries, researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health found no evidence that increased sales of the new medicines could be linked to a lower suicide rate. The researchers also did not find any relationship between reduced sales of the older and more toxic antidepressants and a reduction in suicide rates.

The suicide rate has been declining since the end of the 1980s in many Western countries, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Around 1990, the new SSRI drugs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) became available on the market. Sales figures for these new antidepressant drugs have increased annually, whereas sales of the older TCA drugs (tricyclic anti-depressants) have declined substantially. TCA drugs are associated with a risk of poisoning with overdose.

In a study recently published in BMC Psychiatry, the researchers gathered data from the Nordic countries about the suicide rate (number of suicides per 100 000 inhabitants) and sales figures for antidepressants, both for SSRIs and TCAs. A total of over 60 000 suicides were included in the study. Scientists have performed a statistical analysis of the relationship between changes in suicide rates and changes in sales figures for both new and older antidepressants in the period 1990-98 in the respective countries. It is during this time period that the increase in sales was greatest and where the greatest drop in suicide rate could be expected. (...)

(Anm: The relationship between sales of SSRI, TCA and suicide rates in the Nordic countries (Sammenhengen mellom salg av SSRI, TCA og selvmordsrater i de nordiske land) (PDF) (PDF) BMC Psychiatry 2010, 10:62 (6 August 2010).)

The front line in suicide prevention
telegram.com 27.9.2010
Dispatchers learn what to say, and not say

OXFORD — “I want to kill myself.”

Fifty percent of emergency call-takers will hear someone say these words during their careers, because many thinking about suicide call 911 as a last resort.

“Dispatchers are the first person on the scene of every crime, fire, incident or medical emergency,” said veteran Quincy Police Lt. Charles E. Santoro. He did suicide-intervention training for Powerphone dispatchers throughout the region last week at Oxford Police Headquarters. Powerphone is a Connecticut-based crisis-communications company

Dispatcher Alan Jeskey organized the suicide intervention training, just one of the training classes that are periodically offered at the new police headquarters.

Almost two dozen dispatchers attended the daylong training. (...)

Markant nedgang i antall selvmord
tv2nyhetene.no 10.9.2010
Siden toppen i 1988 er det nå 200 færre personer i Norge som tar sitt eget liv hvert år.

Likevel dør rundt 500 personer i året for egen hånd – omtrent dobbelt så mange som i trafikken, opplyser De regionale ressurssentrene om vold, traumatisk stress og selvmordsforebygging (RVTS).

Mørketall
RVTS understreker at selv om det er mørketall på dette området, er nedgangen tydelig. De mener dette viser at forebyggende tiltak virker.

Overfor Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå minner Nils Petter Reinholdt ved RVTS Øst om at selvmord rammer så mange flere enn den som tar sitt eget liv.

– Det er viktig å fokusere på at dette også innebærer enorm lidelse for de rundt: pårørende, venner og kolleger, påpeker Reinholdt. Parallelt med det påpeker han vårt alles ansvar for folk rundt oss. (...)

Asthma, Suicide Risk, and Psychiatric Comorbidity
Am J Psychiatry 167:1020-1022 (September)
In this month's issue, Kuo and colleagues (1) report that a current history of asthma and a greater number of respiratory symptoms were associated with a greater than twofold increase in subsequent suicide in a population-based study of over 160,000 high school students in Taiwan followed up in young adulthood. Asthma prevalence in young people has been increasing in the United States, with up to 10% of adolescents affected. Asthma is the sixth leading cause of death in children 5–14 years of age in the United States, and suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents. The study by Kuo et al. is the first to link asthma with completed suicide in young people. A previous large U.S. study of 5,692 adults showed a significant association between asthma and suicide ideation with (but not without) suicide attempts (2). This relationship was partially mediated by socioeconomic factors, health risk behaviors, and DSM-IV diagnoses of depression, alcohol abuse, and panic disorder. (...)

JAPAN:
Selvmord kostet 127 milliarder
e24.no 8.9.2010
For første gang har Japan offentliggjort hva landets 30.000 årlige selvmord koster - og det er ikke småbeløp. (...)

Høyere selvmordsantall i Russland

Japans selvmordsrate er med 36,5 per 100.000 personer - for menn - den høyeste blant G8-landene etter Russland, som har 70,6 per 100.000, ifølge tall fra WHO.

Frankrike har den tredjehøyeste for menn med 26,1 per 100.000.

For japanske kvinner ligger selvmordsraten på 14,1 per 100.000 og topper dermed statistikken for G8-landene. (...)

The Forgotten Patients
forbes.com 3.9.2010
The mental health industry ignores the 35,000 people a year who commit suicide. A few researchers are trying to change that. (...)

How often do antidepressants make people suicidal? (Hvor ofte gjør antidepressiva mennesker suicidale?)
reuters.com 2.9.2010
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antidepressants rarely trigger suicidal thoughts or behaviors, suggests a new study of more than 140,000 patients in European psychiatric hospitals.

But experts worry that some suicidal thoughts or behaviors might have been written off as part of the patient's illness, or that some cases of patients feeling or acting suicidal might have been missed altogether.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed drug classes in the U.S. One study found that 10 percent of the U.S. population was taking these medications in 2005. (...)

Dr. David Healy, one of the early researchers to express a concern about the risk of suicide in some patients on SSRIs, agreed that the study likely missed many patients who became suicidal as a result of antidepressants. "It isn't an estimate of how often this is actually happening, it's an estimate of how often doctors who are faced with this kind of thing happening recognize a link," Healy, a psychiatrist at Cardiff University in Wales, told Reuters Health.

The medical community tends to pay more attention to large studies -- often funded by the pharmaceutical industry -- than to doctors' own experiences with patients, he said. Because of this, doctors might be discouraged from reporting suicidal tendencies in their patients taking antidepressants if their observations go against scientific research and drug company claims, Healy said.

The European drug surveillance program is funded by many pharmaceutical companies, including those that manufacture antidepressants. In the report, five of the study's eight authors disclosed receiving grants or consulting fees from drugmakers.

Whether antidepressant drugs trigger any suicidal behavior is not in question, Healy said. "This is a problem that is caused by the drugs," he said, and the study confirms that the link exists. "The only argument is about how frequently it's happening," he said.

SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/tux28n Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, online August 10, 2010. (...)

"Psych meds spike among younger troops" ("Forbruket av psykiatriske legemidler øker blant yngre soldater)
navytimes.com 3.9.2010
Use of psychiatric medications among people ages 18 to 34 — mostly active-duty troops and their spouses — is rising at a significantly higher rate than other age groups in the military health care system, according to data newly released to Military Times.

Overall, the number of prescriptions filled for psychiatric medications rose 42 percent from 2005 to 2009 among Tricare beneficiaries in that age group, according to data provided by Tricare Management Activity in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

That compares to an increase of 24 percent among Tricare beneficiaries ages 45 to 64, mostly retirees. For children 17 and younger, the increase was 18 percent.

All the increases outpace overall growth in the Tricare population over the same period.

Anti-depressants like Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Celexa account for slightly more than half of the prescriptions in this age group. But increasingly, young adults in the military and their spouses are turning to other types of psych meds to treat their mental health problems.

Prescriptions for stimulants, including amphetamines and drugs to treat attention-deficit disorders, more than doubled. And claims for anti-psychotics like Seroquel and Abilify nearly doubled from 2005 to 2009 among beneficiaries ages 18 to 34, the Tricare data show. Seroquel is often used to treat nightmares and sleeping problems related to post-traumatic stress disorder.

The rise — and potential dangers — of psychiatric drug use is a growing concern for many military officials and doctors. (...)

The Woman Who Stops Patients From Killing Themselves
blogs.forbes.com 1.9.2010
(Part III in a series on Medicine’s Suicide Problem. Part I is HERE, and part II is HERE.)

Few psychotherapists want to take on patients who kick in walls, play Russian roulette with a loaded gun, slice up their arms with a knife, or end up in the intensive care unit twice in one month from suicide attempts. University of Washington psychologist Marsha Linehan specializes in them.

The mental health industry has ignored suicidal patients so much that suicide isn’t even in the index of the 900-page bible of psychiatric disorders, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV. Doctors pessimistically have figured there isn’t much that can be done beyond standard drugs and psychotherapy. (...)

Medicine’s Suicide Problem, Part 2
blogs.forbes.com 31.8.2010
(Part II of a series on why the medical system ignores suicidal patients. To read part I, GO HERE)
The multi-billion dollar mental health industry ignores suicidal patients. Nearly 35,000 Americans kill themselves each year, the vast majority with depression or other psychiatric ailments.

Yet drug companies won’t test their drugs on patients with suicidal thoughts; medical centers are skittish about studying them for fear of lawsuits; and the NIH puts little money into exploring treatments for the suicidal. As as result, doctors have little data on how best to treat the mental health patients most in need of help. (For more on extent of the problem, go here.) (...)

Medicine’s Suicide Problem, Part 1
blogs.forbes.com 30.8.2010
(...) Big pharma routinely excludes suicidal patients from their tests of antidepressants and other drugs. There’s no commercial imperative to crawl out on that limb. Trials in at-risk patients would cost millions of dollars and could take years to perform; they might yield murky results–or worse. A suicide in the drug group could be used by competitors to destroy even a promising drug. The legal overhang is real. GlaxoSmithkline has paid $390 million to settle lawsuits related to patients who attempted or completed suicide while on Paxil, Bloomberg News estimates.

As a result, mental health experts have little data on which treatments work in those prone to suicide. In younger patients antidepressants sometimes backfire. Suicidal patients end up in the emergency room, where there is no clear standard besides hospitalization. One unproven method is to make people sign pacts promising not to harm themselves before the next appointment. (...)

(Anm: paroksetin (paroxetine); markesføres i Norge under handelsnavn som bl.a. Seroxat; Paxil i USA.)

Doctor says he hid suicide note to protect family of Erica Blasberg (Lege sier han skjulte selvmord for å skåne familien til Erica Blasberg)
latimes.com 27.8.2010
Thomas Hess, who found the body of the LPGA Tour player, says he took items to spare her family embarrassment.

The doctor who found the body of 25-year-old professional golfer Erica Blasberg told Nevada investigators he hid a suicide note and pills because he wanted to spare her family embarrassment, according to a court document released Wednesday.

A Henderson police affidavit detailed the hours Blasberg and Dr. Thomas Hess spent together playing golf, watching TV in a casino sports book and in her home in the days before he found her dead May 9 with a plastic bag over her head.

Detectives investigating the golfer's death searched the doctor's Mercedes-Benz, which was parked in Blasberg's driveway, and found a suicide note and Xanax pills obtained in Mexico. (...)

Forbes Investigation: Why Big Pharma Ignores Suicide
blogs.forbes.com 26.8.2010
Nearly 35,000 people die a year from suicide, while another million people try to kill themselves. The vast majority have some sort of mental health problem.

Yet top drug companies such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithkline and Eli Lilly routinely exclude high-risk suicidal patients from studies. Academic psychiatrists don’t study treatments for suicidal patients thanks to lack of funding and interest. University review boards are skittish about performing studies on high-risk patients thanks to fear of lawsuits. As a result, doctors have little idea how to treat those psychiatric patients most at risk of serious harm.

A six month Forbes investigation reveals a multi-billion dollar mental health industry that ignores sick suicidal patients that need help the most thanks to fear of lawsuits, social stigma, and lack of a profit motive. It profiles a handful of daring researchers who are trying to change this. The full story is HERE. (...)

The Forgotten Patients
forbes.com 26.8.2010
The mental health industry ignores the 35,000 people a year who commit suicide. A few researchers are trying to change that.

Alexsandra Wixom started experiencing uncontrollable bouts of sadness when she was 15. "I was emotionally off. I cried all the time," recalls the Seattle-area resident, who is now 25. Her mood swings eventually became so wild the former honors student had to quit going to high school. Over the next eight years she saw a psychiatrist every other week. Her doctors tried everything from Zoloft to mood stabilizers to heavy-duty antipsychotics, but none of them helped for long. (...)

- Vi må ha mer åpenhet om psykiske lidelser
nettavisen.no 19.8.2010
Selvmordstallene bekymrer lederen for helsekomiteen på Stortinget. (...)

- For høye tall
Lederen for helsekomiteen på Stortinget, Bent Høie (H), sier til Nettavisen at han synes selvmordstallene er skremmende høye.

- Det er altfor høye tall. Jeg tror det også er mørketall her, både knyttet til trafikkulykker og overdosedødsfall, sier Høie.

Professor og leder ved Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og forebygging, Lars Mehlum, påpekte tirsdag at det er viktig at vi ikke glemmer selvmordene, siden de er mulig å forebygge.

Dette er Høie helt enig i.

- Jeg er enig i at det er riktig å forebygge selvmord mer, men ikke nødvendigvis gjennom å skrive mer om selvmord i media. Det kan ha den motsatte effekten, sier han. (...)

- Selvmord må ikke glemmes
nettavisen.no 17.8.2010
250 dør i trafikken. 500 tar livet sitt. Men selvmordene hører vi lite om. (...)

Våld mot unga ökar risk för självmord
svd.se 17.8.2010
Att ha utsatts för våld som barn och i vuxen ålder själv använda våld ökar risken för självmord. Det visar en ny studie från Karolinska Institutet. Forskarna har även tagit fram en ny skala som kan hjälpa till att bedöma återfallsrisken efter ett självmordsförsök.

Karolinska Interpersonal Vio- lence Scale (KIVS) är den första skattningsskalan som mäter både om man använt våld, samt om man blivit utsatt för våld som barn och i vuxen ålder.(...)

Studien, vars resultat kommer att publiceras i vetenskapstidskriften Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, är gjord på 161 patienter som vårdats inom psykiatrin efter att ha försökt ta sitt liv på 1990- och 2000-talet.

En uppföljning visade att risken för fullbordat självmord var tre gånger högre för personer som gjort ett självmordförsök och använt våld mot andra som vuxna. Att själv ha blivit utsatt för våld som barn ökade också risken avsevärt.

–De personer som tagit sitt liv hade högre poäng i skalan. Att det skulle vara så tydliga samband var lite överraskande, speciellt med tanke på att tidigare skalor om aggressivitet inte har kunnat skilja de som har tagit sitt liv och de som överlevt, säger Jussi Jokinen. (...)

Suicide -- Differences from Culture to Culture
ivanhoe.com 16.8.2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Suicide is the seventh leading cause of death for men in the U.S. and the sixteenth for women. The word itself is emotionally charged, and as bad as it sounds, people are interested in statistics regarding suicide: where it happens most, to who it happens to the most, what are the risk factors, and what are the demographics of these victims? At the 118th Annual American Psychological Association Convention suicide was discussed in terms of differences in men and women suicidal behaviors based on culture and location. (...)

1 in 12 Teen Drug-Related ER Visits Are Suicides (1 av 12 legemiddelrelaterte akuttmottak er selvmordsforsøk)
depression.about.com 4.8.2010
According to studies conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than one in twelve (8.8%) of drug-related hospital emergency room visits by adolescents was a suicide attempt.

In addition, most of the suicide attempts by teens (72.3%) were females. Females also dominated the numbers among young adults and those over the age of 25, but at a significantly lower level (57.6% and 57.5% respectively). (...)

The full details of the studies can be found online at:

• Emergency Department Visits for Drug-related Suicide Attempts by Adolescents: 2008
• Emergency Department Visits for Drug-related Suicide Attempts by Young Adults Aged 18 to 24: 2008
• Emergency Department Visits for Drug-related Suicide Attempts by Adults Aged 25 or Older: 2008 (...)

Kroniske smerter kan føre til selvmord
berlingske.dk 6.8.2010
Kvinder, som lider af fibromyalgi, begår hyppigere selvmord, viser dansk forskning.

110 gange større risiko for selvmord
Men smerterne er ikke det eneste, kvinder med fibromyalgi skal bekymre sig om. Det forklarer forskningschef og adjungeret professor ved SMI, Aalborg Universitet, Bente Danneskiold-Samsøe:

»Vi har undersøgt 1269 kvinder, som lider af fibromyalgi, og vi har fundet ud af, at de har en selvmordsrate, som er 10 gange højere end resten af befolkningen.«

Resultatet bygger på en ny undersøgelse fra Parker Instituttet, der er Frederiksberg Hospitals reumatologiske forskningsenhed i gigt, og viser blandt andet også en hyppighed i leversygdomme som levercirrose og cerebrovaskulære sygdomme som hjerneblødning og blodpropper i hjernen. (...)

(Anm: Arthritis & Rheumatism 2010.)

Epilepsy Drugs' Link to Suicide Not Seen in All Patients
medpagetoday.com 4.8.2010
Using antiepileptics was not associated with an increased likelihood of attempting -- or completing -- suicide in patients with epilepsy, researchers found.

However, the class of medications was associated with greater odds of attempted or completed suicide in patients with depression and those taking the drugs for indications other than epilepsy, depression, and bipolar disorder, according to Alejandro Arana, MD, of Risk MR Pharmacovigilance Services in Zaragoza, Spain, and colleagues.

The odds ratios for those two groups of patients were 1.65 (95% CI 1.24 to 2.19) and 2.57 (95% CI 1.78 to 3.71), respectively, the researchers reported in the Aug. 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. (...)

Suicide-Related Events in Patients Treated with Antiepileptic Drugs
N Engl J Med 2010; 363:542-551August 5, 2010
A previous meta-analysis of data from clinical trials showed an association between antiepileptic drugs and suicidality (suicidal ideation, behavior, or both). We used observational data to examine the association between the use or nonuse of antiepileptic drugs and suicide-related events (attempted suicides and completed suicides) in patients with epilepsy, depression, or bipolar disorder. (...)

Conclusions The current use of antiepileptic drugs was not associated with an increased risk of suicide-related events among patients with epilepsy, but it was associated with an increased risk of such events among patients with depression and among those who did not have epilepsy, depression, or bipolar disorder. (...)

– Skulle ikke vært skrevet ut
nrk.no 2.8.2010
En alvorlig syk kvinne tok sitt eget liv etter å ha blitt sendt hjem fra behandlingstilbudet sitt under ferieavviklingen.

Helgelandssykehuset sendte hjem flere innlagte psykiatriske pasienter, da psykiatriavdelingen i år tok sommerferie. En av pasientene, en 51 år gammel kvinne fra Mosjøen, tok sitt eget liv hjemme hos sin far.

– Hun var så syk at hun burde ikke vært skrevet ut. De burde hatt en tilbud da de stengte avdelingen. Det er forferdelig at noe slikt kan skje, og man stiller seg et stort spørsmål om hva det er som foregår innen psykatrien, sier Marit Hansen som var venninne med den avdøde kvinnen. (...)

Suicide tied to air pollution and asthma (Selvmord knyttet til forurensning og astma)
msnbc.msn.com 15.7.2010
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Air pollution and asthma symptoms may increase suicide risk, two new studies from Asia suggest.

According to Taiwanese researchers, as many as 1 in 14 suicides among Taiwanese youth may have been caused by asthma, a condition that affects about 10 percent of children.

"It points out another negative part of air pollution," said Dr. Wayne Katon, a psychiatrist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"In a way, suicide is a proxy for a bad effect on the whole society," added Katon, who was not involved in the new research.

Asthma has been linked to suicide before, but researchers say this is the first time the role of air quality has been tested. (...)

(Anm: Asthma and Suicide Mortality in Young People: A 12-Year Follow-Up Study. Am J Psychiatry 2010 (Published July 15).)

Completed suicide after attempted suicide
Editorials
BMJ 2010;341:c3064 (13 July)
Methods used in attempts may indicate the degree of risk (...)

Completed suicide after attempted suicide
Editorials
BMJ 2010;341:c3064 (13 July)
Methods used in attempts may indicate the degree of risk (...)

Antalet självmord oförändrat trots barriär på hög bro
dagensmedicin.se 7.7.2010
Självmorden från höga platser i Toronto minskade inte när kanadensiska myndigheter satte upp en barriär på en bro där många tidigare tog sitt liv. (...)

I studien som publiceras i tidskriften British Medical Journal konstaterar forskarna att självmorden från bron visserligen helt upphörde efter att barriären tillkom. Men antalet självmord genom hopp från andra höga platser ökade samtidigt. (...)

(Anm: Effect of a barrier at Bloor Street Viaduct on suicide rates in Toronto: natural experiment. BMJ 2010;341:c2884 (6 July).)

(Anm: Strategies to prevent suicide. BMJ 2010;341:c3054 (6 July).)

Rethinking the Role of Mental Illness in Suicide
Am J Psychiatry 167:731-733 (July)
Psychological autopsy studies in high-income countries (1) have consistently found that at least 90% of persons who die of suicide are suffering from a mental disorder at the time of death. In China, however, there are now two well-designed independent psychological autopsy studies that have found substantially lower rates of mental disorders in suicide decedents. A nationally representative psychological autopsy study of 895 adult suicide victims conducted about a decade ago (2) reported a prevalence of mental disorders of 63%. In this issue, in a study of 392 rural suicide victims 15–34 years of age, Zhang and colleagues (3) report that only 48% had a current mental illness. The prevalence in the subsample of the earlier study who were 18–34 years of age (N=114) was 45% (4), similar to the rate seen in this new study. (...)

Självmord ska bekämpas med fler händelseanalyser
dagensmedicin.se 1.7.2010
En statlig utredare vill utöka vårdens skyldighet att göra utredningar när en patient tagit sitt liv. (...)

Tanken är att det ska göras en händelseanalys vid varje självmord som sker inom sex månader efter en kontakt med sjukvården eller socialtjänsten. (...)

(Anm: Händelseanalyser vid självmord inom hälso- och sjukvården och socialtjänsten. Förslag till ny lag. (regeringen.se 2010).)

Anmelder lege etter konas selvmord
nettavisen.no 19.6.2010
- Han har drept et menneske, sier ektemannen.

Høsten 2006 begikk Kari Beathe Firdaous selvmord ved pilleoverdose på Øvre Eiker i Buskerud. Ektemannen Markus Firdaous har anmeldt både fastlegen som skrev ut medisinene, og Drammen psykiatriske senter (DPS). (...)

Kari Beathe skal ha fortalt legen at hun hadde mistet resepten på antidepressive medisiner, og dermed måtte ha ny. Som sagt så gjort - til tross for at DPS var ansvarlig for all medisinering. Uken etter hadde Kari Beathe time hos psykolog hos DPS. Både her og hos fastlegen snakket hun om selvmordsønsker

- Da er det ufattelig at ingen av dem griper inn!, sier Rødvik. (...)

Vil forebygge selvmord blant samer
nrk.no 9.6.2010
– Sametingsrådet vil prioritere arbeidet med forebyggelse av selvmord i den samiske befolkning, sier rådsmedlem Ellinor Marita Jåma. Nå kan det bli et nordisk samarbeid om problematikken. (...)

I en ny forskning i regi av Senter for Samisk Helseforskning ble det funnet en noe høyere forekomst av selvmord blant personer registrert med samisk tilhørighet i Nord-Norge i tidsperioden 1970-1998.

– Det er mange som har tatt kontakt med meg og bedt oss å ta tak i problemet, sier rådsmedlem Ellinor Marita Jåma. I tilegg har jeg opplevd selvmord i mitt nærmiljø, sier Jåma. (...)

Insomnia severity is an indicator of suicidal ideation during a depression clinical trial (Alvorlig søvnløshet er en indikator for selvmordstanker i klinisk forsøk på depresjon)
Sleep Med. 2010 May 15. [Epub ahead of print]
OBJECTIVE: Insomnia has been linked to suicidal ideas and suicide death in cross-sectional and longitudinal population-based studies. A link between insomnia and suicide has not been previously examined in the setting of a clinical trial. Herein we describe the relationship between insomnia and suicidal thinking during the course of a clinical trial for depression with insomnia. (...)

CONCLUSIONS: The results support the concept that insomnia may be a useful indicator for suicidal ideation and now extend this idea into clinical trials. Insomnia remains an independent indicator of suicidal ideation, even taking into account the core symptoms of depression such as depressed mood and anhedonia. The complaint of insomnia during a depression clinical trial might indicate that more direct questioning about suicide is warranted. (...)

Bølge av selvmord i iPhone-fabrikken
digi.no 26.5.2010
Apples leverandør har tiltaket klart: Sikkerhetsnett rundt sovesalene.

Etter å ha jobbet ved Foxconns elektronikkfabrikk i den sørkinesiske byen Shenzhen i 42 dager, begikk 19-åringen Li Hai selvmord i går ved å hoppe ut av et vindu, melder det offisielle kinesiske nyhetsbyrået Xinhua.

Foxconns fabrikk i Shenzhen teller mer enn 300 000 ansatte (noen kilder sier 400 000). Selvmordet er det niende på under et år. I tillegg har det vært et selvmord ved et annet av Foxconns fabrikker i Kina. Foxconn, også kjent som Hon Hai Precision Industry, har til sammen 800 000 arbeidere ved sine anlegg. (...)

In prosperous South Korea, a troubling increase in suicide rate
washingtonpost.com 18.4.2010
(...) The suicide rate in this prosperous nation of about 50 million people has doubled in the past decade and is now the highest in the industrialized world.

The rate of suicide in most other wealthy countries peaked in the early 1980s, but the toll in South Korea continues to climb. Twenty-six people per 100,000 committed suicide in 2008 (the most recent year for which data are available). That's 2 1/2 times the rate in the United States and significantly higher than in nearby Japan, where suicide is deeply embedded in the culture. (...)

Suspected Link Found Between Suicide, Gene Alteration
Psychiatr News 2010;45(8):2 (April 16) (American Psychiatric Association)
New data suggest that an epigenetic alteration of a gene in the brain may play a role in suicide. In the future, a drug might be found to undo such an alteration.
Life experiences and environmental factors can alter genes in animals and people, the provocative new scientific field of epigenetics is finding (Psychiatric News, March 5). (...)

Methylation of a specific gene—the one that codes for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)—has now been found to be significantly more plentiful in the brains of 44 people who committed suicide than in the brains of 33 people who died from other causes.

The finding appeared in the March Archives of General Psychiatry. The study's lead investigator was Lorenzo Chiariotti, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of general pathology at the University of Naples in Italy. (...)

Suicide deaths common among soldiers: study
torontosun.com 12.4.2010
Suicide is the third most common cause of death for Canadian Forces personnel, a new study says.

The study, called Preventing Deaths in the Canadian Military, says motor vehicle crashes and cancer were the top two causes of death, respectively.

Published last month in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the study examined the causes of death for 1,710 active-duty members who died between January 1983 and December 2007.

Traumatic injuries caused 57% of deaths and disease was responsible for the remaining 43%.

More specifically, motor-vehicle crashes accounted for 22% of deaths, neoplasms (tumours) 22%, and suicide 17%.

Combat deaths accounted for less than 5%, with most of those coming in the final two years of the study when Canadian troops were deployed to southern Afghanistan. (...)

Kids' Chronic Conditions Linked to Risk of Self-Harm
medpagetoday.com 12.4.2010
Children and adolescents with chronic health conditions -- whether mental or physical -- are at increased risk for self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and attempted suicide, researchers said.

Children with chronic physical conditions had about a 20% increased risk of the three outcomes, compared with those who reported no chronic conditions, according to Andrew Barnes, MD, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

But those with chronic mental conditions were at more than double the risk, while those with both physical and mental conditions had an even greater risk of attempted suicide, Barnes and colleagues said in the May issue of Pediatrics. (...)

Suicide risk no different between antidepressants (Selvmordsrisiko ikke forskjellig mellom antidepressiva)
reuters.com 12.4.2010
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although antidepressants are effective in children, they are known to increase suicidal behavior. That increase, however, is not dependent on the specific drug, researchers reported on Monday. (...)

The US Food and Drug Administration currently requires a "black box" warning on antidepressant labels that draws attention to the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in kids and young adults who take the drugs.

What hasn't been clear, however, is whether some drugs are safer than others.
Schneeweiss and colleagues found three suicides and 266 unsuccessful suicide attempts among 10- to 18-year-old Canadians who had taken antidepressants for a year. Considering how long each person had been on antidepressants, that corresponds to about 3 suicides per year if 10,000 are treated.

While this rate is about five times the rate in the general population of teens in British Columbia, where the data was collected, the suicide risk was similar for different types of antidepressants. These included selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- the most commonly used drugs such as Prozac -- and older drugs. (...)

Efterforskning af selvmord indledt
business.dk 12.4.2010
Anklagemyndigheden i Paris undersøger, hvorfor indtil nu 48 medarbejdere i France Télécom har taget livet af sig.

De mange selvmord i den franske telegigant France Télécom bliver nu efterforsket som mobbesager.

Anklagemyndigheden i Paris indledte fredag efterforskningen af de i alt 35 selvmord, som fandt sted blandt ansatte i 2008 og 2009 i Frankrigs svar på TDC. De indledende undersøgelser kan senere munde ud i, at der rejses sag mod France Télécom, skriver den britiske finansavis Financial Times. (...)

A simple test to detect suicidal thoughts
timesofindia.indiatimes.com 10.4.2010
UCLA researchers have developed a non-invasive biomarker, or indicator, that can detect signs of suicidal thoughts in people taking antidepressants. (...)

All of the participants were also examined using QEEG, which evaluates brain function based on the brain''s electrical activity. Among the 13.5 percent of participants who got worse, the researchers found a sharp drop in brain activity within 48 hours of the start of medication. The drop occurred in the midline and right-frontal sections of the brain, areas known to control emotions.

Of note, eight of the 35 participants taking a placebo (22.9 percent) also had increased thoughts of suicide. However, the placebo participants did not show the precipitous drop in brain activity within the first 48 hours. (...)

Glaxo, Paxil and the Catholic Sex Abuse Cover-Up: Drug Implicated in Priest's Suicide (Glaxo, Seroxat og det skjulte katolske sexmisbruk: Legemiddel implisert i prests selvmord)
industry.bnet.com 7.4.2010
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which was already the focus of controversy over whether it ignored the suicide risk of its antidepressant Paxil, has found itself linked to the Catholic Church’s cover-up of child abuse in the death of a priest who took the drug.

Download the Tucker v. GSK ruling here.

The case seems bound to become a further PR headache for GSK, which in 2008 was accused of obscuring the suicide risk of Paxil in studies for 15 years. (...)

Exploring The Link Between Bullying And Suicide
npr.org 5.4.2010
Can bullying lead to suicide? That’s the question at the heart of a case in Massachusetts, where nine students are charged in connection with the death of a young woman. Phoebe Prince, allegedly the victim of their bullying, hanged herself in January. Her case is once again raising questions about the real life consequences of bullying and what can be done to stop it. Host Michel Martin talks to two anti-bullying advocates: Nicholas Carlisle, executive director of the group No Bully, and Miriam Rollins, national director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. Also joining the conversation is William Pitt, who discusses how childhood bullying nearly brought him to the brink of suicide. (...)

‘Suicide’ Query Prompts Google to Offer Hotline
nytimes.com 4.4.2010
As with any omniscient being, you can ask Google anything. You just don’t know what the answer is going to be.

That changed slightly last week when the Google search engine started automatically giving a suggestion of where to call after receiving a search seemingly focused on suicide.

Among the searches that result in an icon of a red phone and the toll-free number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are “ways to commit suicide” and “suicidal thoughts.” The information takes precedence over the linked results and is different and more prominent than an advertisement. Guidance on suicide prevention was suggested internally and was put in place on Wednesday. (...)

Veterinarians more likely to commit suicide
usatoday.com 2.4.2010
You'd never know it by looking at us, but veterinarians are four times as likely to commit suicide than the average person; twice as likely as our human healthcare counterparts. This gloomy stat was brought to you by a series of United Kingdom studies conducted over the past few years, which culminated in a paper published just last week on the subject of why.

I'd read about the original studies a couple of years back and, like most of my colleagues, I was somewhat in denial over capturing the dental profession's flag on this one. I mean, we can all joke about why a dentist's job might seem pointless (until we need one, that is), but a veterinarian's? Such an outlet for a deep and abiding love of animals would seem more like a dream come true than a wade in the river with rocks in your pockets. But then I started tallying them up ... and I counted three. (...)

Posttraumatic stress disorder and completed suicide.
Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Mar 15;171(6):721-7
Most research regarding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide has focused on suicidal ideation or attempts; no known study of the association between PTSD and completed suicide in a population-based sample has been reported. This study examined the association between PTSD and completed suicide in a population-based sample. Data were obtained from the nationwide Danish health and administrative registries, which include data on all 5.4 million residents of Denmark. All suicides between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2006, were included, and controls were selected from a sample of all Danish residents. (...)

The association between PTSD and completed suicide remained after controlling for psychiatric and demographic confounders (odds ratio = 5.3, 95% confidence interval: 3.4, 8.1). Additionally, persons with PTSD and depression had a greater rate of suicide than expected based on their independent effects. In conclusion, a registry-based diagnosis of PTSD based on International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, is a risk factor for completed suicide. (...)

Flere selvmord ryster amerikansk eliteuniversitet
aftenposten.no 20.3.2010
Cornell University i delstaten New York i USA har bare den siste måneden hatt tre dødsfall som mistenkes å være selvmord.

Universitetet ligger i et spesielt terreng der studentene må krysse flere kløfter når man forflytter seg rundt på området. Det er i disse kløftene, som er opptil 30 meter dype, liket av flere studenter er funnet den siste tiden, skriver den engelske avisen The Indedepent. (...)

Do Animals Commit Suicide? A Scientific Debate
timesonline.co.uk 19.3.2010
(...) Animal suicide may seem absurd, yet the concept is as old as philosophy. Aristotle told a story about a stallion that leaped into an abyss after realizing it was duped into mating with its mother, and the topic was discussed by early Christian theologians and Victorian academics. "The questioning of animal suicide is essentially people looking at what it means to be human," says Duncan Wilson, a medical historian at the University of Manchester and co-author of a study in the March issue of the British journal Endeavour on the history of self-destructive animals. "The people talking about animal suicide today seem to be using it as a way to evoke sympathy for the plight of mistreated and captive animals." (...)

Livsfarlig
aftenposten.no 27.3.2010
Det er forstemmende å lese Helsetilsynets knusende dom over mangelfullt tilbud til psykisk syke ved Sykehuset Østfold. 11 pasienter begikk selvmord mens de var i behandling. Nå skal det sies at dersom et menneske virkelig vil ta sitt eget liv, så er det ingen som kan forhindre det.

Men det er både alvorlig og trist når det viser seg at sykehuset ikke har gjort sitt ytterste for å forhindre selvmordene. I flere av enkelttilfellene avdekkes både alvorlig svikt i helsetjenesten og klare brudd på loven. En pasient blir henvist til akuttvurdering på grunn av selvmordstanker, men blir ikke innkalt til samtale før etter fem uker. Da var det for sent. (...)

En liten økning i selvmord
dagensmedisin.no 19.2.2010
Fra 2007 til 2008 økte antallet selvmord med cirka fire prosent for begge kjønn, med størst økning for kvinner og i særlig grad blant tenåringer. (...)

Kvinner
Det ble registrert 347 selvmord blant menn og 158 blant kvinner.

Økningen fra foregående år var størst for kvinner, med cirka seks prosent flere selvmord. Mens det var en liten nedgang i antall selvmord blant kvinner over 60 år, var økningen størst hos tenåringer i alderen 15–19 år.

Fem unge jenter tok livet sitt i 2007 – og hele tolv i 2008. (...)

Elevated Suicide Rate Among HIV-Positive Persons Despite Benefits of Antiretroviral Therapy: Implications for a Stress and Coping Model of Suicide
Am J Psychiatry 2010;167:117-119 (February)
(...) Stress and coping theory (9) provides a framework for understanding how psychological responses to stressful life events may increase suicide risk. HIV-positive persons commonly experience a variety of chronic, uncontrollable stressors that can cumulatively contribute to the perception that living with this stigmatized illness is intolerable. (...)

Flere piger end drenge forsøger selvmord
dr.dk 21.1.2010
Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Velfærd har undersøgt antallet af selvmordsforsøg hos to ungdomsårgange, henholdsvis 1966 og 1980.

Det mest iøjefaldende resultat er, selvom antallet af selvmord generelt er faldende, så er der i 1980-generationen en større andel af unge, der har forsøgt eller har begået selvmord end blandt dem, der er født i 1966.

Sagt på en anden måde er risikoen for at forsøge eller begå selvmord vokset med 30 procent, hvis man er født i 1980 og ikke i 1966. (...)

APsaA: Patient's Suicide Less Stressful in Deed than in Thought
medpagetoday.com 18.1.2010
NEW YORK -- Analysts have greater distress when they imagine a patient committing suicide than they do when patients actually take their own lives, researchers say.

The median distress score was significantly greater among analysts who merely imagined the situation, compared with those who'd indeed been through it (P≤0.001), Jane G. Tillman, PhD, of the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Mass., and colleagues reported at the American Psychoanalytic Association meeting here.

"It says something about our ability to imagine our anxiety," she said. "We may tend to overemphasize it."

While no data on patient suicide have previously been reported, surveys have estimated that psychiatrists react dramatically to such an experience. (...)

Presses til selvmord
underdusken.no 18.1.2010
Mens den indiske økonomien stadig når nye høyder og tradisjonelle sosiale inndelinger gradvis bryter sammen, har utdanning blitt den ene veien ut av ekstrem fattigdom i India. Indiske foreldre legger mye penger og håp i barnas utdannelse, og kampen om studieplassene er ekstrem. Presset de unge føler er enormt. Hele familiens framtid står og faller på hvordan de presterer ved enkelte eksamener. For noen blir dette for mye. (...)

Mer søvn kan motvirke tenåringsdepresjoner
dagbladet.no 3.1.2010
Virker tenåringen sur og lei og deprimert? Han eller hun legger seg muligens for seint, antyder ny forskning. (...)

Forskerne har studert 15.500 tenåringer mellom 12 og 18 år, og funnet ut at risikoen for depresjoner øker med 24 prosent dersom ungdommene legger seg for seint.

Tenåringer som får mindre enn fem timers søvn om natta, har hele 71 prosent høyere risiko for å bli deprimerte sammenlignet med dem som drømmer seg gjennom de anbefalte åtte timer. (...)

(Anm: Earlier Parental Set Bedtimes as a Protective Factor Against Depression and Suicidal Ideation. SLEEP 2010;33(1):97-106.)

Brøt meldeplikten to ganger
siste.no 28.12.2009
Trondheim (ANB-NTB): Først forsøkte pasienten å ta sitt eget liv. Senere begikk han selvmord. Helse Nord-Trøndelag rapporterte ingen av hendelsene. (...)

Nå får de en smekk fra Helsetilsynet.

Helse Nord-Trøndelag har brutt meldeplikten to ganger, slår Helsetilsynet i Nord-Trøndelag fast.

– Alvorlige selvmordsforsøk og selvmord skal alltid meldes, sier fylkeslege Marit D. Kverkild til Adresseavisen.

Hun ser på situasjonen i Nord-Trøndelag som alvorlig.

– I selvmordssaker begynner man å få rutine på rapportering. I Nord-Trøndelag finnes det imidlertid ingen innarbeidet rutine for å rapportere selvmordsforsøk. Det er alvorlig, sier fylkeslegen.

Avdelingsoverlege Nils Håvard Dahl ved psykiatrisk klinikk ved sykehuset Levanger sier det var en «ren feil» at selvmordet ikke ble rapportert. Han mener også at forsøket på selvmord ikke var rapporteringspliktig fordi det dreide seg om «villet egenskade».

Helsetilsynet ønsker nå en tilbakemelding fra Helse Nord-Trøndelag på hvordan de håndterer meldeplikten. (ANB-NTB)

Helse Nord-Trøndlag brøt meldeplikten
nrk.no 28.12.2009
(...) – Alvorlige selvmordsforsøk og selvmord skal alltid meldes, sier fylkeslege Marit D. Kverkild til Adresseavisen (...)

Ingen rutiner
Hun ser på situasjonen i Nord-Trøndelag som alvorlig. I selvmordssaker begynner man å få rutine på rapportering. I Nord-Trøndelag finnes det imidlertid ingen innarbeidet rutine for å rapportere selvmordsforsøk.

– Det er alvorlig, sier fylkeslegen. (...)

Study finds high suicide rates among Wis. Veterans
chicagotribune.com 23.12.2009
MADISON, Wis. - A new study says Wisconsin veterans are more likely to commit suicide than the general population is.

The report says veterans make up 8 percent of Wisconsin's population but committed nearly 21 percent of suicides in the state.

Kenneth Black is the secretary of the state Department of Veterans Affairs. He says his department sees the issue of veteran suicide as a growing concern.

The study was conducted by the state Department of Health Services, the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a group called Mental Health America. (...)

HIV Therapy Linked to Fewer Suicides
medicinenet.com 15.12.2009
TUESDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Suicides among people in Switzerland who were infected with HIV decreased by more than half after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996, a new study shows. (...)

Självmord och hjärtdöd ökade efter cancerbesked
dagensmedicin.se 15.12.2009
Forskare vid Karolinska institutet i Solna har gått igenom uppgifter om knappt 170 000 svenska män som diagnostiserats med prostatacancer mellan åren 1961 och 2004. Syftet var att undersöka hur diagnosenen påverkar risken för hjärt-kärlsjukdom och självmord. (...)

(Anm: Immediate Risk for Cardiovascular Events and Suicide Following a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: Prospective Cohort Study. PLoS Med 2009;6(12): e1000197.)

Cancerdiagnos ökar risk för självmord och hjärtkärlsjukdom
forskning.se 15.12.2009 (Karolinska Institutet)
Män som nyligen fått diagnosen prostatacancer löper en ökad risk att begå självmord och att insjukna och dö i hjärtkärlsjukdom. Det visar en studie från Karolinska Institutet som publiceras i den öppna vetenskapliga tidskriften PLoS Medicine.

– Insjuknande och död i hjärtkärlsjukdom och självmord kan ses som uttryck för exceptionell psykisk stress. Studieresultaten ger en indikation om det psykiska lidande som finns i denna patientgrupp speciellt runt diagnosbeskedet, säger Katja Fall, en av forskarna bakom studien.

Studien bygger på registeruppgifter om nästan 170 000 svenska män som fått diagnosen prostatacancer mellan åren 1961 och 2004. En mycket liten andel av männen som diagnosticerades med prostatacancer begick självmord i samband med diagnosen. Risken för att begå självmord var dock åttafaldigt ökad under den första veckan och nästan trefaldigt ökad under det första året efter en diagnos, jämfört med män utan prostatacancer. (...)

Lawsuit raises issue of suicide prevention
roanoke.com 14.12.2009
A suit filed after a Virginia Tech student's death in 2007 questions the university's liability.

In the wake of a civil lawsuit alleging that Virginia Tech should have done more to try to prevent a student from killing himself, a mental health official said some people overestimate the ability of authorities to prevent suicide.

"The general public thinks law enforcement and mental health professionals can usually predict and prevent suicide," said Harvey Barker, who directs New River Valley Community Services, which provides mental health services including a 24-hour crisis line for individuals in distress.

When someone is planning suicide, it's "very difficult" to predict or prevent it, Barker said. (...)

Depression and suicide related to medical condition, not holidays, says UNC professor
morganton.com 11.12.2009
Hickory - Contrary to popular belief, the highest rate of suicide is not during the holiday season, according to UNC School of Social Work professor Jodi Flick. Flick presented "Suicide in Adults and Children: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention," Nov. 23 at a workshop titled "Depression and Suicide: What You Need to Know" at Catawba Valley Community College. (...)

Suicide Rates, Around the World
economix.blogs.nytimes.com 9.12.2009
About 10 out of every 100,000 Americans commits suicide, according to new data released Tuesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

That is slightly lower than the rate across all the organization’s member countries for which data are available, and about half the rates in Hungary and South Korea. The rate is lowest in Greece, where 2.9 out of every 100,000 people commit suicide. (...)

Holiday suicide increase is a myth
newschannel10.com 5.12.2009
Amarillo, TX - The idea that there are more suicides during the holiday season may be just a myth.

The holiday suicide myth has had amazing staying power...but despite the stresses during this time of year, December's suicide rate is not the highest.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - study after study shows no link between the holidays and an increase in suicide. (...)

Army Trying to Solve Puzzle of Rising Suicide Rates
Psychiatr News 2009;44(23):1 (December 4) (American Psychiatric Association)
U.S. Army generals are unhappy with suicide rates among soldiers but look for hope in changing event patterns and new resilience training.

Suicides among U.S. soldiers are likely to reach a record number this year; however, Army leaders discern some changing patterns that may offer clues to prevention, said Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli at a Pentagon media briefing on November 17. (...)

Rise in soldier suicides leaves Pentagon looking for answers
timesonline.co.uk 19.11.2009
American soldiers are committing suicide in the greatest numbers since official records began in 1980, with the US Army at a loss to explain the phenomenon since a third of the dead have never been deployed in combat.

Suicides in the army alone have passed last year’s record of 140 — 141 in 2009 so far — in what campaigners called a “perfect storm” of stress, poor co-ordination between the branches of the Pentagon’s healthcare apparatus and the stigma attached to seeking psychiatric help in the military.

The upward trend has defied efforts to improve access to appropriate counselling for veterans returning from combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The figure for the first ten months of the year excludes 71 suicides among troops taken off active duty in 2009, and 42 in the US Marine Corps. (...)

Rekordmange selvmord blant amerikanske soldater
tv2nyhetene.no 17.11.2009
140 soldater har tatt sitt eget liv så langt i 2009.

2008 var et dystert år for den amerikanske hæren med 140 selvmord totalt. I 2009 ser det ut til at denne rekorden knuses. Allerede i midten av november har like mange soldater valgt å ta sitt eget liv, melder nyhetsbyrået AP. (...)

Vet ikke årsaken
Myndighetene er likevel i stuss over hva som fører rekordmange soldater til dette drastiske skrittet. På spørsmål om det kan være stress i forbindelse med langvarig krigføring i Irak og Afghanistan, sier Chiarelli at han ikke vet.

– Det er ikke noe enkelt svar. Hvert selvmord er like unikt som individene selv, sier han.

Oppsiktsvekkende nok rapporterer både hæren og marinen at om lag to av tre av de som begikk selvmord aldri har deltatt i kamp. (...)

Selvmordsatferd blant spilleavhengige
forskning.no 7.11.2009
Selvmordsatferd forekommer oftere blant spilleavhengige enn i befolkningen ellers.

Spilleavhengige har ofte psykiske vansker, rusmiddelproblemer og familiemessige og økonomiske problemer.

Alt dette er betydelige risikofaktorer for selvmordsatferd.

– Det er usikkert om spilleavhengighet i seg selv øker risikoen for selvmordsatferd, sier stipendiat Marianne Hansen ved SIRUS.

– Men sammenhengen er så tydelig at selvmordsrisiko bør kartlegges når man møter spilleavhengige pasienter, understreker hun. (...)

Drug deaths on decline, suicides up (Dødsfall relatert til narkotiske stoffer går ned, selvmord opp)
post-trib.com 25.10.2009
Porter County has seen fewer drug-related deaths this year compared to last year's record-setting high, according to the Porter County coroner.

However, the county has also seen a huge increase in suicides, more than double last year's rate.

So far, 17 people have died from drugs or alcohol this year, Coroner Victoria Deppe said. That's compared with the 32 people who died from the same causes in 2008. (...)

The numbers for suicides, do not reflect the same improvement, though. So far, 31 people have committed suicide this year, compared with 15 last year. (...)

No 'wave of suicides' at France Telecom, statistician says
earthtimes.org 20.10.2009
Paris - The case of 25 France Telecom workers who have taken their own lives since the beginning of 2008 does not represent an unusually high number, a respected statistician claimed Tuesday, in an editorial that is certain to stir up the already controversial issue. The supposed wave of suicides at the company has caused shockwaves in the French media, with trade unions blaming the number of suicides at the company on the company's restructuring and treatment of its workers.

"Fewer people kill themselves at France Telecom than elsewhere," said Rene Padieu, head of the Committee of Ethics at the French Statistics Society in an editorial published Tuesday in the daily La Croix.

According to Padieu, in 2007 there were 19.6 suicides for every 100,000 people between the ages of 20 and 60 in France. He calculated the rate at France Telecom, which has about 100,000 employees, at about 15 suicides per year.

"There is no 'wave of suicides'," Padieu wrote. "It is regrettable that the human dramas that are these suicides ... are exploited in the conflict between management and workers. It is shameful." (...)

Må kutte jobbstress
e24.no 12.10.2009
Arbeidsminister mener stress har ført til selvmordsbølge i France Telecom. (...)

Pres og emails skyld i selvmord
business.dk 25.9.2009
Det er smartphones, hjemme-pcer og urimeligt arbejdspres, der får ansatte i France Telecom til at begå selvmord. Det siger en topchef i firmaet.

Det er arbejdspres og krav om altid at stå til rådighed, der gør medarbejderne så stressede, at de ender med at begå selvmord. (...)

Middle-aged women drive rise in U.S. suicides: study
reuters.com 21.9.2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. suicide rates appear to be on the rise, driven mostly by middle-aged white women, researchers reported on Tuesday.

They found a disturbing increase in suicides between 1999 and 2005 and said the pattern had changed in an unmistakable way -- although the reasons behind the change are not clear.

The overall suicide rate rose 0.7 percent during this time, but the rate for white men aged 40 to 64 rose 2.7 percent and for middle-aged women 3.9 percent, the team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found.

"The biggest increase that we have seen between 1999 and 2005 was the increase in poisoning suicide in women -- that went up by 57 percent," said Susan Baker, a professor in injury prevention with a special expertise in suicide.

Writing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Baker, Guoqing Hu and colleagues said they analyzed publicly available death certificate data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (...)

Tok livet etter mobbing på Facebook
vg.no 21.9.2009
LONDON (VG) Holly Grogan (15) fikk gjennomgå så mye på Facebook at hun til slutt ikke orket mer.

Nå tar foreldrene et offentlig oppgjør med ungdommers mobbing på nettet. (...)

Kamp mod psykisk syges selvmord slået fejl
politiken.dk 17.9.2009
Hver anden uge begår en indlagt psykiatrisk patient selvmord. Sundhedsstyrelsen vil nu kulegrave omfanget.

De kommer på hospitalet for at få hjælp til at slippe af med vrangforestillinger og stoppe nedturen.

Men de ender med at tage livet af sig.

En gang hver anden uge begår en sindslidende borger selvmord, mens vedkommende er indlagt på en psykiatrisk afdeling i Danmark.

Antallet er ikke faldet de sidste 10 år
Fra sommeren 2008 og et år frem har 26 psykisk syge begået selvmord, til trods for at de var i sygehusenes varetægt, viser rapporter til Sundhedsstyrelsen.

Trods et væld af planer, anbefalinger og retningslinjer, der skal forhindre selvmordene, er antallet slet ikke faldet de seneste ti år. (...)

Formentlig endnu flere selvmord
For selv om sygehusene har pligt til at rapportere om selvmord til Sundhedsstyrelsens database, så sker det ifølge Anne Mette Dons ikke altid:

»Så der er formentlig flere selvmord end de 26, du omtaler. Derfor vil jeg meget gerne på baggrund af Politikens henvendelse tage initiativ til at få undersøgt til bunds, hvor mange selvmord det i virkeligheden drejer sig om. Den viden er nødvendig for at vurdere, om det skal give anledning til yderligere reaktioner fra vores side i Sundhedsstyrelsen«. (...)

Axel Nielsen må forklare selvmord blandt psykiatriske patienter
dk-nyt.dk 17.9.2009
(...) Jeg vil nu afkræve sundhedsminister Jakob Axel Nielsen (K) en forklaring på, hvad der er blevet af regeringens gyldne løfter til psykiatrien. (...)

Fortsat mange selvmord blandt psykisk syge
jv.dk 17.9.2009
Indsatsen mod selvmord blandt psykisk syge er fejlet. Trods anbefalinger og retningslinjer er antallet ikke faldet de seneste ti år.

En gang hver anden uge begår en sindslidende borger selvmord, mens vedkommende er indlagt på en psykiatrisk afdeling i Danmark, skriver Politiken torsdag. Fra sommeren 2008 og et år frem har 26 psykisk syge begået selvmord, til trods for at de var i sygehusenes varetægt, viser rapporter til Sundhedsstyrelsen.

Trods et væld af planer, anbefalinger og retningslinjer, der skal forhindre selvmordene, er antallet ikke faldet de seneste ti år. (...)

Study: 8 million Americans consider suicide
google.com (AP) 16.9.2009
WASHINGTON — More than 8 million Americans seriously consider suicide each year, according to a new government study.

About 32,000 suicides occur in the United States each year, but a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that many more give the idea serious thought.

The new SAMHSA report is based on a survey of 46,190 people aged 18 and older. In the past, the question about suicide had only been asked of people who reported major depression but in 2008 it was added to all questionnaires. (...)

22 selvmord i France Telecom
dn.no 12.9.2009
Nå kalles sjefen inn til møte med den franske arbeidsmarkedsministeren.

I løpet av ett og et halvt år har 22 France Telecom-ansatte begått selvmord. Fredag hoppet en 32 år gammel kvinne ut av vinduet i fjerde etasje etter et møte, skriver di.se. (...)

- Målet med møtet er å se på hva som kan gjøres for å stoppe selvmordsbølgen i France Telecom. Vi må være forsiktige men aktive i denne saken, sa en departementstalsmann lørdag ifølge di.se. (...)

Homoseksuel krigshelt tvunget til kastration
bt.dk 11.9.2009
En bronzestatue af Alan Turing, der til den ene side har hans arbejdsplads, Manchester Universitet, og til den anden side, de bøssebarer, han ofte frekventerede. (...)

I 1954, to år efter den medicinske kastration begik Alan Turing selvmord. Han havde spist et æble, som han havde fyldt med giften cyanid. Det var højst sandsynligt med reference til Snehvide og de syv små dværge, som var Turings yndlingsfilm. (...)

Ingen vil granske overdosedødsfall
aftenposten.no 10.9.2009
109 personer døde av overdose i 2007 – 65 av dem på grunn av ulovlige, narkotiske stoffer. Og i fjor døde 60 personer av overdose, ifølge statistikk fra KRIPOS. I tillegg gjennomfører helsepersonell hvert år rundt 2000 gjenopplivinger etter overdoser.

I mars i år vedtok et enstemmig bystyre å sette i gang en granskning av overdosedødsfallene i 2006 og 2007. Rusmiddeletaten spurte tre forskningsfirmaer. To av dem sa nei. Senter for rus og avhengighetsforskning, SERAF, kom med et tilbud, men godtok ikke den økonomiske rammen på 500000 kroner. De regner med at undersøkelsene vil koste 1,4 mill. kroner. (...)

1 million begår selvmord hvert år
nrk.no 9.9.2009
Hver dag tar 3.000 mennesker i verden livet sitt. De siste 50åra har selvmordsraten økt med hele 60 prosent.

Det er Verdens Helseorganisasjon (WHO) som legger fram den dystre statistikken.

Tallene blir offentliggjort i forbindelse med markeringa av verdensdagen for selvmordsforebygging.

Hvert eneste år begår 1 million mennesker selvmord, og utviklinga tyder på at tallet kommer til å fortsette å øke i åra som kommer. (...)

- I Europa og Nord-Amerika skyldes 90 prosent av selvmordene psykiske problemer, sier Alexandra Fleischmann i WHO. (...)

10.000 unge forsøger selvmord hvert år
berlingske.dk 8.9.2009
Stadig flere unge mellem 15 og 19 år forsøger hvert år at begå selvmord. Antallet af registrerede selvmordsforsøg er på 20 år fordoblet på Fyn. (...)

Men det er kun de tilfælde, som det offentlige system har kendskab til, og det reelle tal er meget højere, mener statistiker Børge F. Jensen fra Center for Selvmordsforskning i Odense. (...)

Hans vurdering er, at 10.000 unge på landsplan hvert år forsøger at tage deres eget liv. Kun hver tiende bliver registreret på hospitalerne. (...)

Flere selvmord på arbeidsplasser i USA
dn.no 22.8.2009
Den økonomiske krisen har resultert i en kraftig økning i antall selvmord på amerikanske arbeidsplasser.

Tall fra det amerikanske arbeidsdepartementet viser at 251 mennesker begikk selvmord på arbeidsplassen i 2008, og dette var en økning på 28 prosent fra året før.

Departementet gjør ikke noe forsøk på å forklare økningen, men den økonomiske krisen har fått dramatiske konsekvenser for mange amerikanske bedrifter. (...)

Suicide Prevention Drug Pushing Racket - Part II
Evelyn Pringle, health freedom writer
naturalnews.com 21.8.2009
(NaturalNews) This is part two of an article series by Evelyn Pringle. You can read part one here: http://www.naturalnews.com/026789_s...

A recent study in the April 2009, Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety journal found no change in the suicide rate in teens as a result of the regulatory ban in the UK on the use of SSRI antidepressants with children under 18, which did result in a drastic reduction in SSRI use among kids.

"Anti-depressant use in under 18 year olds halved after the warnings," Pulse Today reported on April 24, 2009.

The research team from the University of Bristol concluded that "there was no evidence of an overall effect on suicides of regulatory action to restrict prescribing of SSRIs to young people." (...)

Risk of suicidal behaviour in adults taking antidepressants
Editorials
BMJ 2009;339:b3066 (11 August 2009)
Increased risk is probably restricted to younger people and varies greatly between individual medicines (...)

60 Minutes stands by suicide story
abc.net.au 10.8.2009
Most suicides in Australia go unreported by the media, because of concerns the publicity could lead to further deaths, but the Nine Network is going to the courts to defend its right to cover the issue.

Last night 60 Minutes tried to air a story on the issue but was forced to back down when it was served with an injunction.

The national depression initiative Beyond Blue won the order in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Over six months, four students at a Geelong High School have committed suicide. (...)

Psykiatrin angrips offentligt efter tragiskt självmord
dagensmedicin.se/ 10.8.2009
Patienterna i den svenska psykiatrin behandlas inte människovärdigt. Det hävdar en journalist i en mycket kritisk debattartikel. (...)

VA center wasn’t aware of many veteran suicides
spokesman.com 9.8.2009
Report says methods used to identify victims ‘may be inadequate’

The VA’s Office of Medical Investigations discovered that from July 2007 through the first week of July 2008, at least 22 veterans in the Spokane VA service area killed themselves, and 15 of them had contact with the medical center.

Spokane VA had previously reported nine suicides and 34 attempted suicides in that time period. All of them had some contact with the medical center.

“The methods and sources routinely being utilized by the medical center to identify veterans who have committed suicide may be inadequate,” a report by the VA medical inspectors said.

The suicides came amid heightened concern for the mental health of soldiers and veterans nationally. In response, VA facilities have strengthened protocols for identifying patients at risk of suicide. (...)

- Vi har ikke funnet løsningen
aftenposten.no 7.8.2009
Aldri tidligere har en så høy andel amerikanske soldater tatt sitt eget liv. Nå presses myndighetene til å ta tak i problemet.

I 2008 tok 192 amerikanske soldater sitt eget liv, og i løpet av årets første halvår har hele 129 begått selvmord, ifølge New York Times.

Tallene viser at selvmord blant soldatene som tjenestegjør eller har tjenestegjort i Irak og Afghanistan, de to siste årene har tatt flere liv enn krigene på samme tid. (...)

Suicide Prevention Drug Pushing Racket - Part I
Evelyn Pringle, health freedom writer
naturalnews.com 6.8.2009
NaturalNews) Nearly every year, as part of the suicide prevention drug pushing racket, drug company shills publish a bogus study with claims that more people are dying from suicide due to a black box warning of an increased risk of suicide in young people on the labels of SSRI and SNRI antidepressants.

Although the FDA did announce that the black box warnings, for children under 18, would be added to antidepressants in October 2004, the warnings were not on the labels until the spring of 2005. The extended warnings, to include young persons through age 24, were not added until mid-2007. (...)

Social networking 'not linked to suicide' (Sosial nettverksbygging "ikke linket til selvmord")
brisbanetimes.com.au 5.8.2009
Suicidal people are more likely than others to be found online but that doesn't mean the internet pushes them to take their own lives, a University of Queensland researcher has found.

Dr Keith Harris said people seeking out information about suicide online did not make them feel any more compelled to do it.

"They are more likely to actually go to social networking sites, they are more likely to go to forums, they are more often searching for people who are similar to themselves," Dr Harris said."That seems a driving force behind their internet use is reaching out to people in one way or another... they are looking for social support in one way or another."(...)

In Australia, websites which provide information into how to commit suicide or encourage people to kill themselves are banned but Dr Harris doesn't believe spending money policing this or through the government's proposed $19 0million internet filter was worth the money. (...)

– Facebook kan få barn til å begå selvmord
na24.no 3.8.2009
Erkebiskop langer ut mot Facebook og MySpace.

Lederen for den katolske kirken i England og Wales, erkebiskop Vincent Nichols, advarer i et intervju med The Sunday Telegraph om at nettsamfunn som Facebook og MySpace kan føre til flere selvmord blant unge. (...)

Ingen registrerer selvmord på norske asylmottak
aftenbladet.no 29.7.2009
Selvmord og trusler om selvmord er velkjent ved norske asylmottak. Men det er ingen som vet hvor mange asylsøkere som tar livet sitt i Norge.

Folkehelseinstituttet, som lager selvmordsstatistikken i Norge, varslet for halvannet år siden at det skulle kartlegge muligheten for å lage en nasjonal statistikk over selvmordsatferd i asylmottak. Siden er ingenting skjedd. (...)

Asyl-selvmord nedprioriteres
nrk.no 29.7.2009
Ingen vet hvor mange asylsøkere som tar livet sitt i Norge. Myndighetene har nedprioritert saken.

Folkehelseinstituttet, som lager selvmordsstatistikken i Norge, varslet for halvannet år siden at det skulle kartlegge muligheten for å lage en nasjonal statistikk over selvmordsatferd i asylmottak.

Siden er ingenting skjedd, skriver Stavanger Aftenblad.

– Saken har ikke vært prioritert. Vi har i utgangspunktet ikke hatt ansvar for denne statistikken. Jeg vet ikke hvem som har ansvar for den, heller. Ingen i systemet har presset på. Dette var et initiativ vi selv tok, sier Johannes Wiik, leder av Folkehelseinstituttets avdeling for selvmordsforebyggende arbeid. (...)

High Physician Suicide Rate Triggers AMA Study
Psychiatr News 2009;44(14):8 (July 17) (American Psychiatric Association)
A 2003 consensus statement published in JAMA states that the culture of medicine affords low priority to physician mental health despite evidence of untreated mood disorders and increased risk of suicide.

Doctors save lives, everyone knows. So why do so many of them take their own?

It's a question that the AMA wants an answer to—and not just an answer, but some concrete recommendations for ways to lower the risk of suicide among physicians. (...)

Låga betyg ger ökad självmordsrisk
aftonbladet.se 17.7.2009
STOCKHOLM. Ungdomar och unga vuxna med låga betyg från grundskolan försöker oftare ta livet av sig eller medvetet skada sig själva än jämnåriga med höga betyg. Det visar en ny studie som omfattar nära 450 000 män och kvinnor födda mellan 1973 och 1977. Studien har gjorts av forskare vid Karolinska institutet, Stockholms universitet och Akademiska sjukhuset i Uppsala, skriver Upsala Nya Tidning. (...)

Begik selvmord over mistet iPhone
business.dk 22.7.2009 En kinesisk ingeniør mistede en prototype af en kommende iPhone-model og begik selvmord efter voldsom behandling fra arbejdsgiveren. Apple beklager hændelsen og kræver anstændighed og respekt.

25-årige Sun Danyong arbejdede for Foxconn Technology Group, som er en taiwansk virksomhed, der producerer Apple-produkter, på en kæmpe fabrik i nærheden af Hong Kong. Her var han ansvarlig for at sende prototyper af iPhone til Apple, skriver Fox News.

Men Sun Danyong mistede for nyligt en af prototyperne, og det kom til at koste ham dyrt. Han blev angiveligt udsat for hårde afhøringsmetoder, som indebar vold og indespærring, og hans hjem blev ransaget af Foxconn sikkerhedspersonale. (...)

Monitoring faulted in rise of soldier suicides
usatoday.com 12.7.2009
WASHINGTON — Army commanders are failing at the day-to-day task of monitoring troubled young soldiers in their barracks back home, which is helping push suicides to record numbers, the head of the Army's suicide task force says.
The Army has built a fighting force second to none, says Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, but "we have young leaders who have not been trained in the art of ... just taking care of soldiers," particularly after they return home from combat.

McGuire's findings come after three months spent reviewing records of Army suicides, talking to soldiers and commanders and visiting installations throughout the country, she said.

The Army reported a record 143 suicides among active-duty soldiers last year, the highest since statistics were first kept in 1980. Suicides this year are on track to break last year's record, Army statistics show.

Most suspected suicides are later confirmed as suicides, records show.

Risk-taking is common among soldiers who are suicidal. Such behaviors include sleep deprivation, erratic conduct, excessive alcohol use and abuse, violations of Army regulations, high-risk driving, mishandling finances and infidelity, McGuire says.

These behaviors can further aggravate existing mental health problems, creating a downward spiral that can end in suicide, McGuire says. (...)

Study finds highest rate of suicide on Wednesdays (Studie finner høyest selvmordsrate på onsdager)
chron.com 11.7.2009
Nearly one-quarter of suicides in the U.S. occur on Wednesdays, about twice as many as almost every other day of the week, a new study has found.

The study, published in the journal Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, contradicts earlier findings that suicides are more common on Mondays and left experts puzzling over what may be behind Wednesday's grim distinction.

Is it something about the middle of the week? Job stresses piling up and potentially overwhelming people who already see their problems as insurmountable? (...)

(Anm: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Association of temporal factors and suicides in the United States, 2000–2004. Published 18 June 2009.)

Drab og selvmord følger finanskrisen
politiken.dk 9.7.2009
Den økonomiske afmatning under store kriser som den igangværende finanskrise kan aflæses i dødsstatistikkerne.

Wall Street-krakket i 1929 og den efterfølgende økonomiske depression over hele verden fik mange til at begå selvmord.

Nu viser ny forskning, netop publiceret i tidsskriftet The Lancet, at den slags kriser både kan forøge antallet af selvmord og mord.

DOKUMENTATION Se resume i The Lancet

37 års udvikling
Dokumentationen har forskere fra Oxford University og London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine fået ved at sammenkoble to enorme databunker: WHO's sundhed for alle database og det internationale LO's (ILO) ledighedstal i årene 1970-2007.

I WHO-databasen analyserede forskerne over 30 forskellige dødsårsager. (...)

Mobbing i skolen fører til selvmord
tv2nyhetene.no 8.7.2009
Helsepersonell ved Akershus Universitetssykehus slår alarm. – Alle instanser svikter i oppfølgingen av elever utsatt for langvarig mobbing, sier Kari Bugge ved sorgsenteret.

På Seksjon for sorgstøtte ved Akershus Universitetssykehus kommer foreldre for å få hjelp etter at barna har tatt sitt eget liv på grunn av mobbing.

Ifølge seksjonsleder Kari Bugge tar én til to elever livet sitt på grunn av mobbing i skolen hvert år. I et brev til flere departement slår hun nå alarm. (...)

Economic Downturn Increases Rates of Homicide, Suicide
medpagetoday.com7.7.2009
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., July 7 -- Rising unemployment may be tied to small but significant increases in European murders and suicides, researchers have found. (...)

Among 26 European Union countries, every 1% increase in unemployment was associated with a 0.79% rise in suicide and homicide, David Stuckler, PhD, of Oxford University, and colleagues reported online in The Lancet.

However, overall mortality was not affected, and the number of road-traffic deaths actually decreased by 1.39%, they noted.

Still, the findings could have implications for public health policy during economic crises, they said. (...)

(Anm: The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 8 July 2009doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61202-2Cite or Link Using DOIUnemployment and suicide.)

Daily News: Sedative and Hypnotic Use Linked to Increased Suicide Risk in the Elderly
news.nurse.com 6.7.2009
Use of sedative and hypnotic medications among seniors is associated with increased suicide risk, according to a case-control study published in the BMC Geriatrics journal.

Swedish researchers examined psychotropic drug use in 85 people aged 65 or older who had committed suicide and roughly 150 age- and sex-matched controls from the underlying population. In fully adjusted analyses, current prescriptions for sedatives and hypnotics were each associated with a fourfold increased risk for suicide.

Given these findings, the authors conclude, “a careful evaluation of the suicide risk should always precede prescribing a sedative or hypnotic to an elderly individual.” (...)

(Anm: Are sedatives and hypnotics associated with increased suicide risk of suicide in the elderly? BMC Geriatrics 2009, 9:20 (4.6.2009).)

Illnesses Other Than Depression Show Stronger Link to Suicide
Psychiatr News 2009;44(13):24 (July 3) (American Psychiatric Association)
Depression prompts people to think about suicide—anxiety, impulsivity, or substances can prompt them to act upon that impulse. Other factors that propel them from thought to action remain to be identified.

Mental disorders are among the strongest predictors of suicide attempts and suicide deaths. But which disorders are the culprits? Depressive disorders, right? Wrong, a new study has found. The answer is anxiety disorders, impulse control disorders, and substance use disorders. (...)

A major depression was the strongest predictor of suicidal ideation, they found. Individuals who had had a major depression were more than twice as likely to think about suicide as those who had not. But once these individuals were thinking about suicide, a major depression did not significantly predict whether they would make a suicidal plan or attempt suicide. However, anxiety disorders, impulse control disorders, and substance use disorders did. (...)

Ser resultater av arbeid mot selvmord
vg.no 2.7.2009
Færre menn enn før tar sitt eget liv, og Helsedirektoratet tror forebyggende arbeid har gitt resultater.

Antall registrerte selvmord i Norge er gått ned siden midten av 1980-tallet. I 2007 tok 336 menn sitt eget liv, mens tallene på slutten av 1980-tallet lå i underkant av 500 selvmord blant menn per år. Antall kvinner som tar sitt liv holder seg stabilt.

Seniorrådgiver Freja Ulvestad Kärki i Helsedirektoratet har analysert utviklingen:

- Det er vanskelig å trekke direkte konklusjoner om effekten av forebyggingsarbeidet, men det er likevel grunn til å løfte fram tiltakene som har vært igangsatt de senere årene, sier hun til NTB. (...)

Lav utdanning øker faren for selvmord
aftenposten.no 29.6.2009
Å være barn av akademikere, og så droppe ut av skolen uten å fullføre videregående, øker risikoen for selvmord dramatisk. (...)

Det sier lege og forsker ved Statens arbeidsmiljøinstitutt (STAMI), Hans Magne Gravseth. Bakgrunnen er en doktorgradsstudie, der han og en gruppe medarbeidere ved STAMI har undersøkt hvilke forhold i tidlige faser av livet som påvirker deltagelse i arbeidslivet.

Forskerne har tatt for seg samtlige nordmenn født i perioden 1967–76, og har hatt et særlig fokus på uførepensjonering og selvmord. (...)

Sosialklienter truer med sjølmord
nrk.no 25.6.2009
Foreningen Fattignorge ringer daglig 15 sosialklienter i Ålesund for å hindre at de tar selvmord.

-De alle svakeste er blitt taperne i NAV-reformen. Det sier Georg Rønning i Foreningen Fattignorge.

Hver dag ringer han og en kollega til 15 personer i Ålesund for å forsikre seg om at de ikke har tatt sitt eget liv.

-Situasjonen er dramatisk for disse menneskene, og NAV har ikke evnet å hjelpe de, sier Rønning. (...)

Antidepressants Cause Suicide and Violence in Soldiers (Antidepressiva forårsaker selvmord og vold hos soldater)
huffingtonpost.com 20.6.2009
Here are the starting facts: Death by suicide is at record levels in the armed services. Simultaneously the use of antidepressant drugs is also at record levels, including brand names like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa and Lexapro.

According to the army, in 2007 17% of combat troops in Afghanistan were taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills. Inside sources have given me an even bleaker picture: During Vietnam, a mere 1% our troops were taking prescribed psychiatric drugs. By contrast, in the past year one-third of marines in combat zones were taking psychiatric drugs.

Are the pills helping? The army confirms that since 2002 the number of suicide attempts has increased six-fold. And more than 128 soldiers killed themselves last year. (...)

Alcohol Use Associated With Suicide, Especially in Minorities
abcnews.go.com 19.6.2009
Nearly One-Quarter of Suicides in New Study Linked to Alcohol Intoxication (...)

Alcohol has long been a known risk factor in suicide, said Dr. Eric Caine, chair of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y.

But the study is unique because it examines the role of alcohol in suicides across all ethnic groups -- data that has been limited in prior studies, Crosby said. (...)

"This is a really important paper because it underscores how much a common risk factor such as drinking contributes to something like suicide," Caine said. "Here's more data on how something like alcohol is fuel on the fire, and we need to ask ourselves what we are going to do about it."

To examine the relationship between alcohol and suicide among racial and ethnic groups, the researchers looked at data from the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2005 through 2006.

There were a total of 18,994 suicides in the 17 states that contributed to the database, and about 70 percent of those who committed suicide had been tested for alcohol. (...)

Almost Quarter of Suicides Involve Intoxication (Nesten en fjerdedel av selvmord ivolverer alkohol)
healthfinder.gov 18.6.2009
(...) THURSDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 25 percent of people who take their own lives are intoxicated when they commit the act, U.S. health officials report.

From 2001 to 2005, there were an estimated 79,646 alcohol-attributable deaths each year and some 5,800 of those deaths were associated with suicide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is the first study that shows alcohol is connected to suicide in a number of population groups," said report author Dr. Alex Crosby, a medical epidemiologist in the division of violence prevention at the CDC's Injury Center. "There are some groups that may be at greater risk for alcohol being related to a suicide event."

Other studies have shown that alcohol is a risk factor for suicide, Crosby added.
The report is published in the June 19 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (...)

Alcohol Use Associated with Suicide
medpagetoday.com 18.6.2009
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., June 18 -- Alcohol plays a significant role in suicide, especially among Hispanics and American Indian and Alaska Natives, according to new data from the CDC. (...)

(Anm: Alcohol and suicide among racial/ethnic populations -- 17 states, 2005-2006. MMWR 2009; 58(23): 637-41 (June 19).)

Suicide happens for many reasons, experts say
southbendtribune.com 15.6.2009
Be careful in presuming guiltThe suicide of someone accused of a crime is not always an admission of guilt, experts say.

Ophthalmologist Philip Gabriele and his wife, Marcella, were found dead Monday inside the Gabriele Eye Institute in Elkhart.

Both had been indicted last week on federal fraud and conspiracy charges and were to turn themselves in on Monday. (...)

Why Army Suicides Continued to Rise In May, and What We Can Do
huffingtonpost.com 12.6.2009
The news gets more and more troubling when it comes to Army suicides, which continue on a record pace, according to the latest report. March and April saw 13 suicides each. May saw 17 suicides. (...)

Last year, VoteVets.org worked with TIME magazine to break the story about our Medicated Army. One of our own members, Chris LeJeune, talked in frank detail about being given anti-depressants in the field, and how they're essentially given out like candy, so we can simply have as many bodies in the field as we need.

Anyone who knows anything about anti-depressants knows that they're supposed to be used for those with a legitimate chemical imbalance, or those in therapy who need a temporary bridge. They're not supposed to be used as happy pills for those dealing with PTSD who are constantly forced to reengage what sets off that PTSD. That may mask some symptoms, but inside the mind, it allows PTSD, stress, and depression to continue to grow, exponentially. (...)

Severe Nightmares May Warn of Suicidal Symptoms
healthfinder.gov 9.6.2009
Treating sleep problems could aid suicide prevention, researchers suggest.
TUESDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Besides disturbing a good night's sleep, nightmares might be linked to an increased risk of suicide, a new study suggests.

Researchers assessed 82 men and women, ages 18 to 66, who were awaiting an emergency psychiatric evaluation before being admitted to a community mental health hospital. They were asked about their nightmares, insomnia, depression and suicidal tendencies.

The study found that severe nightmares were independently associated with increased suicidal symptoms, even after the researchers accounted for the effects of depression.

"Sleep disturbances, especially nightmares, appear to be an acute warning sign and risk factor for suicide," principal investigator Rebecca Bernert, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Florida State University, said in a news release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

"Given that poor sleep is amenable to treatment, and less stigmatized than depression and suicide, our findings could impact standardized suicide risk assessment and prevention efforts," she said.

The findings were to be presented June 9 in Seattle at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

Sleep complaints are among the top 10 warning signs of suicide, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about nightmares.
(SOURCE: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, news release, June 9, 2009) (...)

Reaching out for help as Australian suicides fall
abc.net.au 8.6.2009
During the past decade the suicide rate among young Australians has almost halved.

It is an extraordinary public health achievement, but one which has received little publicity.

Experts say a massive public education campaign and improvement in the treatment of depression are the key reasons for the success.

But with bad economic times upon us, psychologists are warning the suicide rate may begin to rise. (...)

Pharma Pill Pushers Use Suicide Ruse - Again (Legemiddelpushere bruker selvmordsknep - igjen)
lawyersandsettlements.com 4.6.2009
Nearly every year, researchers on drug company payrolls publish some ridiculous study with claims that more people may be dying from suicide due to a black box warning about an increased risk of suicide in young people on the labels of SSRI and SNRI antidepressants as a ruse to increase sales of drugs.

Judging from a new study out this month, with a June 2, 2009 headline on WebMD stating: “Are Antidepressant Warnings Causing Harm?”, apparently this year is no exception even though in the US there were 164.2 million prescriptions dispensed for antidepressants in 2008, compared to 143 million in 2004, according to IMS Health, a healthcare information company.

The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, claims there has been a drastic drop in the diagnosis of depression in adults and kids. (...)

Sedatives may increase elderly suicide risk: study (Beroligende midler kan ifølge studie øke selvmordsrisiko hos eldre)
reuters.com 3.6.2009
(...) A review of elderly Suicides in the Swedish city of Gothenburg and two nearby counties showed that antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedatives and hypnotics appeared to make it more likely an older person would commit suicide.

While research has linked use of these drugs to suicides among younger people, there had also been evidence the pills may reduce the risk in the elderly, Anders Carlsten and Margda Waern of Gothenburg University reported in the BioMed Centraljournal BMC Geriatrics.

They reviewed the records of 85 men and women older than 65 who had committed suicide and compared them with a group of elderly people from among the general population who did not kill themselves.

After adjusting for psychiatric conditions, the patients who took sedatives and hypnotics for sleeping problems were four times more likely to commit suicide, Carlsten's team found.

"Clinicians need to be aware of this as these drugs are widely prescribed to the elderly," they wrote. (...)

Scientists have linked sleep disturbances to increased suicidal risk in people with psychiatric disorders and in adolescents but it is unclear whether the association also exists in the general population.

"A careful evaluation of the suicide risk should be carried out when an elderly person presents with symptoms of anxiety and sleep disturbance," the researchers wrote.

While they do not know exactly why, Carlsten and Waern suggested that the drugs somehow trigger aggressive or impulsive behavior or provide the means for people to take an overdose.

Disabilities or sleep problems may make people more likely to commit suicide, they added. (...)

Children's suicide study: Researchers link multiple moves, higher suicide risk
chicagotribune.com 3.6.2009
The more often a family moves, the higher the likelihood that a child relocating to a new home will attempt or commit suicide, a new study of Danish children suggests.

Combing through a Danish national database of children who have attempted or committed suicide, researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark found that a majority -- 55 percent -- of these children had changed residences more than three times in their childhoods.

Among the comparison group of children who never had attempted or committed suicide, fewer than 1 in 3 had made more than three household moves.

Each year, 1 in 5 U.S. families moves, making Americans among the most transient people in the industrialized world. In 2004, the last year for which child suicides were counted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4,599 youths ages 10 to 24 committed suicide. (...)

Sjølvmord stengjer militærbase
nrk.no 29.5.2009
Det har vore 11 stadfesta eller mistenkte sjølvmord blant soldatane på Fort Campbell den siste tida, og basen har den høgste sjølvmordsraten blant dei væpna styrkane i USA.

Dette er heimebasen til den vidgjetne 101. Airborne Divison, ei avdeling som har lidd store tap i Irak og Afghanistan.

Stansar aktiviteten
Brigadegeneral Stephen Townsend gav ordre om stans i all aktivitet ved basen etter at to nye soldatar tok liva sine sist veke.

Det amerikanske forsvaret varslar kamp mot sjølvmordsbølgja.

- Sjølvmorda på Fort Campbell må stanse. Det er ille for soldatane, for familiane, for avdelingane våre og for landet vårt, sa han i ein tale til sodatane i dag.

Han sa at sjølvmord er ei endeleg løysing på problem ein har på eit spesielt tidspunkt. (...)

Svigt forud for dobbelt selvmord
berlingske.dk 22.5.2009
Myndighederne erkender svigt i sagen om far og søns selvmord. Selvfølgelig skulle de blive ved med at bo sammen, siger kommune.

Et dobbelt selvmord i Københavns Havn kunne formentlig være undgået, hvis myndighederne havde udvist lidt større smidighed.

En 82-årig far og hans 61-årige skizofrene søn valgte selvmord, fordi de ikke kunne få plejehjemsplads sammen, men allerede nu erkender myndighederne, at der er begået fejl og vil undersøge sagen.

»De her to mennesker har boet sammen i så mange år, så hvorfor skulle de ikke fortsætte med det, når de kommer i plejebolig,« siger vicesocialdirektør Charlotte Markussen, Frederiksberg Kommune, til Ritzau. (...)

The economic crisis and suicide
Editorials
BMJ 2009;338:b1891 (15 May)
Consequences may be serious and warrant early attention
The past few years have seen steady progress towards the Department of Health’s target to reduce suicide in England

www.lgbtmind.com/content/suicide-prevention-annual-report-2007.pdf). However, we are now amid a serious financial crisis, with frequent media reports linking the recession to suicides. What is the likely impact of the crisis on suicide and what can be done to offset any adverse effects? (...)

Krise driver folk til selvmord i Japan
berlingske.dk 14.5.2009
Den værste økonomiske krise i Japan siden Anden Verdenskrig får stadig flere til at begå selvmord. Det viser ny statistik fra det Japans Rigspoliti offentliggjort i dag.

I fjor tog 32.249 japanere sit eget liv, og det er 11. år i træk, at flere end 30.000 mennesker i Japan begik selvmord.

Og selv om tallet er et par procent mindre end i 2007, var der flere, der begik selvmord på grund af økonomien.

Antallet af de, der tog sit eget liv, fordi de ikke kunne få et nyt arbejde, steg med 40 procent, mens de, der begik selvmord, fordi de blev arbejdsløse, steg med 20 procent, fremgår det af statistikken. (...)

Sunlight May Cause Surge In Summer Suicides
redorbit.com 8.5.2009
Researchers have found that insomnia caused by the incessant sunlight of long summer days in places like Greenland is causing an increased rate of suicide.
It has been commonly believed that the number of suicide cases tends to increase in late autumn and early winter months with more hours of darkness, however new findings indicate that regions experiencing constant sunlight in summer seasons may be equally hazardous.

Karin Sparring Bjorksten of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and colleagues reported in the BioMed Central journal BMC Psychiatry that "During the long periods of constant light, it is crucial to keep some circadian rhythm to get enough sleep and sustain mental health.” (...)

Självmord vanligast på sommaren
svt.se 8.5.2009
Under de ljusa sommarmånaderna är statistiken över antalet självmord som allra mörkast. För lite sömn och rubbad kemi i hjärnan kan förklara fenomenet, men också en ökad social press. (...)

Alkoholen verkar inte spela någon roll, är slutsatsen. Det gör däremot årstiden. Ljusa juni är den mörkaste självmordsmånaden.

-Ljus påverkar halterna av serotonin i hjärnan mycket starkt, säger Karin Sparring Björkstén. (...)

I stort sett alla självmord på Grönland är impulsiva. Man hänger sig eller skjuter sig. Det är inte planerade självmord, säger Karin Sparring Björkstén och tillägger att detta tyder på att sjukdomar som mani är utlösande faktor snarare än depression.

-Och jag tror att det i grunden också kan ha att göra med att man sover för lite. Många psykiska sjukdomar är kopplade till dålig sömn. (...)

Coroner fears suicide statistics may be inaccurate
irishtimes.com 5.5.2009
THE DUBLIN City Coroner has expressed concern about the accuracy of suicide statistics, raising fears that the incidence of suicide may be greater than official figures indicate.

Dr Brian Farrell has called on the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to carry out a national survey of coroners’ records to ensure that suicide mortality is properly recorded.

“Our statistics on suicide are probably inaccurate,” said Dr Farrell. “Official statistics show Dublin to have a lower suicide rate than the rest of the country,” he said, referring to a 2007 report. “There must be serious doubt that this is the case. (...)

Psykiske lidelser og voldsbruk
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2009; 129:845 (30.4.2009)
Personer med psykiske lidelser bruker mer vold enn andre. Men sammenhengen er bare statistisk signifikant for dem som også er rusmisbrukere. (...)

Restriktioner för SSRI gav inte färre självmord
lakemedelsvarlden.se 28.4.2009
Skärpta regler för förskrivning av antidepressiva till unga ledde inte till att färre tog livet av sig. Det visar en brittisk studie som undersökt sambandet sedan restriktioner för behandling med SSRI infördes.

Efter att rapporter kommit om att ungdomar som behandlas med antidepressiva av typen SSRI i högre utsträckning än andra begick självmord, infördes restriktioner för behandlingen i flertalet länder. Sedan år 2003 har myndigheterna i Storbritannien inte rekommenderat förskrivning av SSRI till barn och ungdomar under 18 år med undantag av flouxetin. Sedan dess har förskrivningen av SSRI minskat med 50 procent i åldersgruppen. (...)

Feil selvmordstall
FINN GJERTSEN, forsker - HÅKON A. JOHANNESSEN, stipendiat, Divisjon for psykisk helse, Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt
aftenposten.no 14.4.2009
I Aftenposten 3. april hevder Rolf Utgård at antall selvmord øker i Norge. Det har ikke vært noen økning i selvmord i Norge de siste år. Utgårds tall er riktige, men de gir et misvisende bilde. Offisiell dødsårsaksstatistikk viser at det var registrert 286 selvmord i 1965 og 533 tilfeller i 2005, 41 år senere. Men i samme periode har også befolkningen økt. Med dagens selvmordsrate ville antallet selvmord vært 428 hvis folkemengden hadde vært den samme som i 1965. (...)

Suicide risk higher for doctors, farmers (Selvmordsrisiko høyere for leger, bønder)
suntimes.com 18.4.2009
Among employed people, doctors (particularly women), vets, nurses, dentists and farmers are all at increased risk of suicide -- because they have easy access to drugs or poisons that can be used for suicide, researchers are reporting in an issue of the medical journal the Lancet.

An estimated 1 million people die from suicide each year worldwide, equating to one every 40 seconds -- but it's suspected that numbers are under-reported in many countries, the researchers say. (...)

Fler självmord när kända människor dör
sr.se 17.4.2009
Varje år begår omkring en miljon människor självmord, och det är detsamma som att en person tar sitt eget liv var 40:e sekund. Det framgår av en rapport gjord av forskare på universitetet i Oxford och universitetssjukhuset i belgiska Gent.

Rapporten publiceras i den medicinska tidskriften Lancet, och enligt den är självmorden den tionde vanligaste dödsorsaken globalt sett.

Självmord är vanligast bland äldre människor, men har blivit allt vanligare också bland yngre, särskilt bland unga män.

Risken för självmord ökar enligt forskarna vid nationella katastrofer, och när någon berömd person har dött.

Till exempel ökade antalet självmord i Storbritannien efter prinsessan Dianas död 1997 med 17 procent, särskilt bland kvinnor i Dianas egen ålder. (...)

Færre tar sitt eget liv
vg.no 16.4.2009
I 2007 tok 485 personer sitt eget liv i Norge. Det er nesten 50 færre enn året før, viser ferske tall fra Statistisk sentralbyrå.

Selvmordstoppen her i landet var i 1988 da 708 personer valgte å avslutte sitt eget liv.

- Siden da har det gått nedover i rykk og napp. Og de siste tallene bekrefter den nedadgående trenden, sier professor Lars Mehlum, leder ved Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og - forebygging til Vårt Land.

En viktig underliggende årsak til færre selvmord er bedret lovverk. I 1996 tok 128 menn livet sitt ved skyting, i 2007 var tallet halvert til 60. På midten av 90-tallet ble det innført strengere våpenkontroll, blant annet ble det ventetid ved våpenkjøp og regler for våpenskap. I tillegg ble heimevernsvåpen inndratt. (...)

Færre tar sitt eget liv
vl.no 16.4.2009
Bedre lovverk hindrer mange selvmord. (...)

– Det viser seg at mennesker ser for seg en bestemt metode, og når denne metoden er borte, bruker de ikke andre metoder. Det kan gå lang tid før ny praksis innarbeides i befolkningen, sier han.

Ny gass. Et enda bedre eksempel er selvmordene med gass i Storbritannia før 1960. Gassen til gasskomfyrer ble laget av kull og inneholdt store mengder giftig karbonmonoksid. På slutten av 50-tallet tok om lag 2.500 livet sitt på kjøkkenet årlig. Så ble gassen – uten tanke på selvmordsforebygging – byttet ut med naturgass fra Nordsjøen uten karbonmonoksid. Resultatet ble at denne selvmordsformen forsvant – og selvmordstallene gikk ned med en tredel. Tusenvis av menneskeliv ble spart, og selvmordstallet er fortsatt langt under det det var. (...)

Sofie (15) orket ikke vitne etter voldtekt - tok sitt liv
vg.no 16.4.2009
- Overgrepsofre blir ofte suicidale, sier ekspert

(VG Nett) Natten før rettssaken mot sin angivelige voldtektsmann, tok svenske Sofie (15) sitt liv. I Norge lider mange overgrepsofre samme skjebne. (...)

Severe Anxiety Presages Suicide Risk, Data Show: Expert questions traditional indicators
Clinical Psychiatry News 2009;37(4):1
SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. — A growing body of evidence shows that severe anxiety often precedes suicide attempts in psychiatric patients, Dr. Jan Fawcett said at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

In some studies, suicidal patients have documented anxiety disorders; in others, anxiety is comorbid with depression, he said in a plenary talk. Overall, the pattern is of heightened anxiety being associated with suicide attempts and suicides.

The traditional indicators of chronic suicide risk do not predict acute risk, warned Dr. Fawcett, leading investigator and a professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. And the common practice of having patients sign no-harm contracts does not prevent them from committing suicide. (...)

Are VA Protocols Behind Iraq Soldier Suicides?
opednews.com 11.4.2009
Why are suicides among Iraq war soldiers twice that of other wars?

One reason could be that 80 percent of troops with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are given drugs that didn't exist during other wars.

Antidepressants like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and Celexa (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs) and Cymbalta and Effexor (Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors or SRNIs) that are so closely associated with suicide they carry suicide warnings.

660 people have killed themselves on SSRIs and SNRIs since1988 according to published newspaper reports including at least 17 Iraq war veterans. Many more have attempted suicide and committed felonies, self-harm, police stand-offs, murders, murder/suicides and mass murders with high powered weapons.

Yet what does the US Department of Veterans Affairs' suggest as a treatment for PTSD?

"We recommend SSRIs as first line medications for PTSD pharmacotherapy in men and women with military-related PTSD," says the VA's National Center for PSTD's Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd Edition. "Findings from subsequent large-scale trials with paroxetine [Paxil] have demonstrated that SSRI treatment is clearly effective both for men in general and for combat veterans suffering with PTSD." (...)

Mass. death report shows male suicides up in 2007
wten.com 8.4.2009 (Associated Press)
BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts suicide rate among young adult males has jumped 28%.

The Department of Public Health released its 2007 report on deaths Wednesday, saying a decrease in suicide deaths among Massachusetts women was offset by the increase in suicides among males between 25 and 44.

Officials say they will conduct a more thorough study on why suicides in that age group increased.

The report also showed that after two years of double-digit increases in fatal opiate overdoses, the number of deaths remained steady. (...)

174 pasienter tok livet sitt
aftenposten.no 6.4.2009
(...) En granskning Helsetilsynet har gjort, avdekker at 174 pasienter tok sitt liv under behandling ved norske sykehus i 2005 og 2006. 76 av selvmordene fant sted mens pasientene fysisk befant seg på institusjon under døgnovervåking.

Resten av dødsfallene skjedde rett etter utskrivning, på permisjon eller mens pasientene var til poliklinisk behandling.

61 av dødsfallene ble undersøkt av Statens helsetilsyn, og resultatene er overraskende dårlige:

Brudd på plikten forsvarlig pasientbehandling ble avdekket i 38 prosent av sakene.

I 13 prosent av sakene ble sykehusene bedt om å endre rutiner. I tillegg ble ti saker sendt til Helsetilsynet for å vurdere administrative reaksjoner. (...)

Facebook redder teenager fra selvmord
bt.dk 5.4.2009
Da en 16-årig engelsk dreng skrev på Facebook, at han ville begå selvmord, slog en pige på den anden side af Atlanten alarm til de britiske myndigheder, der reddede drengen i sidste øjeblik.

- Jeg tager afsted for at gøre noget, jeg har tænkt på i et stykke tid, snart vil alle finde ud af hvad det er, skrev en 16-årig britisk dreng fra Oxford på netværkssitet Facebook.

Drengen havde i længere tid skrevet om, at begå selvmord, men den besked, som han sent onsdag aften skrev på Facebook, afgjorde sagen. Det skulle være den sidste.

Men drengens Facebookbesked blev læst en af pige, som sad ved sin computer i Maryland, USA.

Pigen fortalte om beskeden til sine forældre, der kontaktede den britiske ambassade i Washington D.C. som gav beskeden videre til Scotland Yard.

Det eneste pigen vidste om drengen, var at han gik i skole i Oxfordshire, så Scotland Yard kontaktede det lokale Thames Valley politi natten mellem onsdag og torsdag. (...)

Shootings, murder-suicide raise broader question: Is violence linked to recession?
csmonitor.com 30.3.2009
The deaths in North Carolina and California follow other high-profile shootings in recent weeks. (...)

Händelser långt tillbaka kan leda till självmordsförsök
dagensmedicin.se 26.3.2009
sykiatrin kan bli bättre på att bedöma vilka som riskerar att ta sitt liv, enligt en doktorsavhandling från Lund. (...)

Av berättelserna kan hon se tre tydliga mönster:

I en första grupp finns en relativt trygg barndom med få belastande händelser och god social förmåga men ärftlighet för psykisk sjukdom. Här har suicidförsöket utlösts av en svår händelse.

I en andra grupp finns belastande händelser tidigt i livet och en god social förmåga. Psykisk sjukdom är vanlig. Suicidförsöket utlöses vid en svår händelse.

I den tredje gruppen finns svåra belastande händelser under barn- och ungdomsåren. Det sociala livet har präglats av en brokig livsföring och psykisk sjukdom. Personlighetsstörning är mycket vanligt. I dessa fall har det senaste suicidförsöket inte utlösts av någon specifik händelse.

Årligen tar 1 200 personer livet av sig i Sverige men tio gånger fler försöker. (...)

Soldier Suicide Rates Continue to Rise
JAMA. 2009;301(11):1111-1113. (March 18)
Suicides among active-duty soldiers in the US Army reached a 28-year high in 2008, continuing a 4-year trend that has persisted despite ongoing military efforts to curb such deaths.

In the face of these grim statistics, Army leaders are redoubling their efforts to address this problem and have recruited scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to probe the underlying causes of suicide in this population and identify effective interventions. (...)

This revised total would raise the suicide rate among active-duty Army personnel to 20.2 per 100 000 in 2008, surpassing the suicide rate among civilians with similar demographics, which was 19.5 per 100 000 in 2005 (the most recent year for which data are available from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). (...)

Psykolog om skoledrapsmenn: - Er ofte ensomme «loners»
vg.no 12.3.2009
(VG Nett) Leder for Senter for Krisepsykologi i Bergen, Atle Dyregrov, sier at skoleskytinger som den i Tyskland ofte har bakrunn i dårlig sosial integrering på skolen. (...)

- Det som er gjort av forskning tyder på at det er en del som har vært litt uglesett i skolesamfunnet. Ofte er de ensomme «loners» og dårlig integrert i skoleaktiviteter, sier Dyregrov til VG Nett. (...)

Gjerningsmannen skal ha vært 17 år og er nå død. Han skal ha tatt sitt eget liv.
Dyregrov sier at det ikke er uvanlig at gjerningsmennene tar sitt eget liv etter å ha begått massedrap, men sier det også hender at noen forsøker å bli drept av politiet. (...)

Självmord på jobbet smittar
dagensmedicin.se 11.3.2009
Personer som tar sitt liv kan påverka kollegor att begå självmord, visar en ny engelsk-svensk studie.

Alla som bott och arbetat i Stockholms län under 1990-talet omfattas av studien, som utförts av forskare vid Stockholms universitet och University of Oxford i England. (...)

PTSD but not trauma itself ups suicide risk (PTSD og ikke traume øker selvmordsrisiko)
reuters.com 5.3.2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Results of a study confirm that young adults who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic events are at increased risk of attempting suicide later on. Importantly, the researchers say, the study also shows that people who experience a traumatic event but do not develop PTSD are not at increased risk of attempting suicide.

"It is not trauma but PTSD that is an independent predictor of subsequent suicide attempt," Dr. Holly C. Wilcox told Reuters Health. (...)

According to the team's report in Archives of General Psychiatry, 10 percent of individuals with PTSD had attempted suicide, compared with just 2 percent of individuals who were exposed to trauma but did not develop PTSD and 5 percent of those who had never been exposed to traumatic events. (...)

Study raises alarm on suicide risk for UK soldiers
msnbc.msn.com 2.3.2009
Young British men who have left the military are up to three times more likely to kill themselves than people in the general population or those remaining in service, researchers said Monday.

Men younger than 24 years of age who served a short stint and had a low rank were at the highest risk of suicide, according to the study published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine. (...)

Självmord hölls hemligt i 30 år
svd.se 1.3.2009
Raoul Wallenbergs mor och styvfar tog sina liv. Anledningen var förtvivlan över deras sons öde och de svenska myndigheternas oförmåga att hjälpa dem i eftersökningarna. Hans syskon avslöjar nu den hemlighet de vaktat i 30 år. (...)

Drenge skjuler selvmordstanker
politiken.dk 28.2.2009
Når en pige tager livet af sig selv, er det samme tilfældet for mindst tre drenge. (...)

Drenge er gode til at holde facaden
Både han og Ida Koch forklarer, at drenge er gode til at foregive, at intet er galt.

»De skal hele tiden være smarte og tjekkede. Det lægger ikke op til, at man smider masken, men at man tværtimod holder masken«, siger Ida Koch.

Sluttelig bruger drenge som regel selvmordsmetoder, de ikke kan reddes fra. De hænger sig, skyder sig eller kaster sig ud fra broer. (...)

Virtual autopsy: Inside the skull of a suicide victim
newscientist.com 20.2.2009
Video: See the virtual autopsy
Many people hate the idea of a loved one being dissected – even if it could provide vital clues about how and why they died. But it may not be necessary for much longer. A growing number of countries, including the UK, Australia, US, and Japan, are looking towards virtual autopsies as an alternative to opening the bodies of people who die in suspicious circumstances.

By combining surface scans of the body with CT and MRI scans, it is possible to work out what happened to a person without cutting them open. A small biopsy of tissue is also taken to measure cellular structure and to check for the presence of drugs. (...)

Norge på overdosetoppen
tv2nyhetene.no 13.2.2009
Ingen andre land i Europa har tilsvarende narkotikaproblem som Norge.
Hvert år dør nesten 300 av overdose bare i Norge. Det er dobbelt så mange som resten av Europa i forhold til folketallet. Mange av dem dør mens de venter i helsekø.

- Når vi har fått en rusmisbruker inn til oss, så er det ikke som for andre pasienter, at vi kan henvise til lege neste dag. Ofte må de vente i flere uker for å få den hjelpen, sier direktør ved Oslo legevakt, Endre Sandvik til TV 2 Nyhetskanalen. (...)

Under pressure: Are girls facing too much?
TODAY books
herald.ie 10.2.2009
Dr. Hinshaw explores the pitfalls of high expectations on today’s teens

ocietal expectations, cultural trends and conflicting messages may be putting teen girls at a higher risk for depression, suicide, eating disorders and other problems. In “The Triple Bind,” Dr. Stephen Hinshaw explores why girls today are under so much stress. (...)

Link between antidepressants and child suicide (Link mellom antidepressiva og barneselvmord)
herald.ie 9.2.2009
A warning about the link between antidepressants and suicide among children and young adults is to be upgraded by the Irish Medicines Board.
The decision has been prompted by a major review of clinical trials in both Europe and the US which have reinforced previous findings that widely used antidepressants can double the risk of suicidal behaviour in young people. (...)

Dr Michael Corry, a consultant psychiatrist who has studied Ireland's current suicide epidemic, strongly believes that it is linked to the over-prescribing of anti-depressants.

"Twenty per cent of suicides were found to have antidepressant medication in their bloodstream. What does that tell you? Unquestionably there is a link to the current suicide epidemic," says Dr Corry.

The US Food and Drugs Administration looked at 372 trials involving almost 100,000 patients. The overall conclusions were "consistent with that of the UK/EU review".

The FDA found an increased risk of suicide with antidepressant treatment in people up to the age of 25, which lessened after the age of 30 years. (...)

Teaterstykke kan hindre selvmord
nrk.no 11.2.2009
Kommunelege Sigrun Winterfeldt i Tana tror at stykket om selvmord, kan være med på å hindre slikt. (...)

11-åringer med selvmordstanker går på nettet
dagbladet.no 10.2.2009
- Barna slutter å leke, sier Røde Kors. (...)

Krisepregete henvendelser er gått opp fra 8,7% i 2007 til 9,7% i 2008. Dette er kun på nett. På telefon er det stabilt på ca 1,5%. (...)

(Dagbladet.no): Røde Kors sitt dialogtilbud Kors på halsen har vært på nettet siden 2005. Der kan ungdom stille spørsmål om livets store og små spørsmål. (...)

Army's January Suicide Rate Could Be Highest Monthly Total Ever
kaisernetwork.org 6.2.2009
Seven soldiers committed suicide last month and 17 more suspicious deaths could be confirmed as suicides, which could bring the monthly total number of suicides to its highest level since the military began tracking such statistics in 1980, according to an Army report released on Thursday, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, while the suspicious deaths still are being investigated, the Army has said the "vast majority" of such deaths eventually are found to be suicide (Alvarez, New York Times, 2/6). The other military branches did not provide suicide rates for January, but the Army in the past few years consistently has had the highest rate (Jelinek, AP/Houston Chronicle, 2/5). (...)

Army official: Suicides in January 'terrifying'
cnn.com 5.2.2009
(...) The Army said 24 soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in January alone -- six times as many as killed themselves in January 2008, according to statistics released Thursday.

The Army said it already has confirmed seven suicides, with 17 additional cases pending that it believes investigators will confirm as suicides for January. (...)

But Platoni said she sees the multiple deployments, stigma associated with seeking treatment and the excessive use of anti-depressants as ongoing concerns for mental-health professionals who work with soldiers. (...)

Japan Firm Fined $1.1 million For Overwork Suicide
naharnet.com 2.2.2009
A Japanese court on Monday ordered a farm cooperative to pay more than one million dollars in damages after a worker became depressed and killed himself due to overwork, a report said.

The compensation was unusually high for such a case in Japan, where thousands of people are estimated to die each year from the country's notoriously long working hours.

The Kushiro District Court on the northern island of Hokkaido said an agricultural cooperative neglected its duty to ensure workplace safety, according to Kyodo News. (...)

Selvmord i politiet
dagbladet.no 1.2.2009
POLITIET: Lederen i Politiets fellesforbund Arne Johannessen sa på Dagsrevyen 23.1. at politifolk har en «stygg statistikk» når det gjelder selvdrap. Dette stemmer ikke. I 2001 publiserte vi en oversiktsartikkel i tidsskriftet Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior som viste at det ikke var dokumentert økt selvmordsrate i politiet. Vi gikk her igjennom alle tilgjengelige internasjonale studier på feltet. Konklusjonen ble bekreftet i en metaanalyse av Robert Loo i samme tidsskrift to år senere. (...)

Suicide Rate Among Army, Army Reserve, National Guard Reaches 28-Year High
kaisernetwork.org 30.1.2009
The suicide rate among U.S. soldiers in 2008 rose to its highest rate since record-keeping began in 1980, the Army announced on Thursday, USA Today reports (USA Today, 1/29). At least 128 soldiers in the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard committed suicide in 2008. Army officials said that 15 deaths are still being investigated and the majority likely will be ruled suicide (Alvarez, New York Times, 1/30).

In 2007, 115 soldiers committed suicide, compared with 102 in 2006 (Jelinek/Hefling, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/30). The suicide rate was 16.8 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in 2007, 15.3 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in 2006 and 12.7 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in 2005 (Scott Tyson, Washington Post, 1/30). (...)

Army to report record number of suicides (Hæren rapporterer rekordmange selvmord)
cnn.com 29.1.2009
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Army will report Thursday the highest level of suicides among its soldiers since it began tracking the rate 28 years ago, CNN has learned. (...)

In 2007, the Army reported 115 confirmed suicides, the highest level since 1980, when it began tracking suicides.

The Army is expected to announce a new effort to study the problem and determine why its suicide-prevention programs appear not to be working, and the extent to which post-combat stress may be a contributing factor. Many of the suicides occur after troops return home. (...)

Drepte alle fem barna
vg.no 27.1.2009
(VG Nett) Da finanskrisen rammet den amerikanske familiefaren drepte han alle fem barna og kona - før han tok sitt eget liv.

Drapene skjedde i Los Angeles-forstaden Wilmington tirsdag. (...)

- Det var en finansiell- og jobbrelatert hendelse som førte til drapene. I disse tøffe økonomiske tider, så finnes det andre løsninger. Jeg er 32 år gammel og har aldri sett noe lignende, forteller Kenneth Graner i Los Angeles-politiet. (...)

Suicide rates 'lowest since 1991'
theherald.co.uk 27.1.2009
Suicide rates are falling and are now at their lowest level since 1991, official figures released today.

The number of men taking their own life has fallen from its peak in 1998 but is still more than double the rate of suicide among women, the Office for National Statistics data shows.

Male suicide rates have fallen from an average of 21.1 per 100,000 people to 16.8 in 2007. The rate for women was much lower at 5.0 per 100,000 last year.
The age of people committing suicide has also changed since the early 1990s when the highest suicide rates were among men and women over the age of 75. (...)

The Impact of Antiepileptic Drugs on Suicide Risk: An Expert Interview With Andres Kanner, MD
medpagetoday.com 26.1.2009
Editor's Note:
On December 16, 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert that manufacturers of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used to treat epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, and other conditions include a warning in their labeling informing patients about the risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors (suicidality). The alert was based on the agency's review of 11 AEDs across 199 clinical trials, which showed that patients receiving AEDs had nearly twice the risk for suicidality (0.43%) compared with patients receiving placebo (0.24%). On December 5, 2008, at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES), a panel of epilepsy experts questioned the methodology of the FDA findings and discussed the potential effect on epilepsy management. (...)

Alle kvinnedrap skal granskes
aftenposten.no 25.1.2009
80 kvinner i Norge er drept av sin nåværende eller tidligere mann de siste åtte årene. Nå skal forskere kartlegge og granske kvinnedrapene. (...)

Nær halvparten av alle drap på kvinner i Norge utføres av menn, enten kvinnenes partnere eller tidligere partnere. Nå skal et bredt forskningsprosjekt gå gjennom alle sakene, all skriftlig dokumentasjon og politietterforskningen. I tillegg skal de samarbeide med og intervjue familiemedlemmer eller andre med nære relasjoner til gjerningsmann og offer.

–Vi håper å finne ut mer om hvilke kvinner som er i risikosonen for å bli utsatt for drap og hvilke menn som kan drepe. Vi vil forebygge for dem som er i risikosonen. Derfor skal forskningsprosjektet også ende i konkrete tiltak, sier Ellen Rømming, seniorrådgiver i Justisdepartementet.

I noen av sakene vil forskerne gå i dybden. Dermed blir det både en kvantitativ og kvalitativ studie. (...)

Flere ældre mænd tager deres eget liv
politiken.dk 20.1.2009
Samlet set er antallet af selvmord halveret siden 1990. Men for mænd over 60 går tendensen i modsat retning. (...)

I 2006 var der 650 selvmord i Danmark, og 196 af dem blev begået af ældre mænd. Og det er en markant stigning.

Mens danskerne som helhed begår halvt så mange selvmord i dag som for 20 år siden, ser udviklingen væsentligt mindre positiv ud for gruppen af mænd over 60 år. Siden 2001 er antallet af ældre mænd, der tager deres eget liv steget med 30 procent. Det viser nye tal fra Sundhedsstyrelsen. Psykolog og forsker på Center for Gerontopsykologi i Århus, Jan-Henrik Winsløv, har en forklaring:

»Mænd går mere stille med dørene med deres selvmordstanker. Og så kan mænd være impulsive. Der er ikke langt fra tanke til handling. Måske tænker de heller ikke så meget på, hvordan det påvirker de efterladte«. (...)

Selvmord som protest
nrk.no 16.1.2009
16. januar er det 40 år siden Jan Palach brente seg levende i protest mot den sovjetiske invasjonen av Tsjekkoslovakia. Aksjonen sjokkerte en hel verden, og gjorde Palach til en tidløs helt i eget hjemland.

Palach protesterte mot Warszawapaktlandenes okkupasjon av Tsjekkoslovakia. Virkemiddelet var å sette fyr på seg selv i Praha sentrum 16. januar 1969.

Palach døde to dager etter, og ble et symbol for motstandsbevegelsen i Tsjekkoslovakia.

Denne selvmordsformen er fra tidenes morgen kjent som et effektivt, politisk virkemiddel for å få alles øyne rettet mot en sak, og selv i dag er denne typen protest i høyeste grad aktuell. (...)

Do suicides go up when the economy heads south?
cnn.com 14.1.2009
(...) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 32,000 people kill themselves each year. The government doesn't keep statistics in "real time," so it's hard to tell whether the suicide rate is spiking right now. However, Brenner has crunched the numbers and thinks as many as 1,200 more suicides could happen as a result of the current recession.

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that more people are suicidal. Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline went from 412,768 in 2007 up to 540,041 in 2008. But Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, says it's important to keep things in perspective.
(...)

FDA probe finds no link with asthma drugs, suicide
forbes.com 13.1.2009
Federal health officials said Tuesday that asthma drugs, including Merck's Singulair, do not appear tied to suicide - though regulators continue to examine possible links to behavioral problems. (...)

Shocking New Veteran Suicide Rates
newschannel10.com 6.1.2009
Shocking New Veteran Suicide Rates

More veterans than ever are finding it harder to deal with the mental effects of war and choosing to commit suicide.

The situation has become so bad over the past year that the VA Hospital in Amarillo started a suicide prevention program. Surprisingly, it's not just the young men and women coming back from combat in the middle east who are being affected. (...)

Experts: Suicides Increase in Troubled Times
independent.co.uk 6.1.2009
SACRAMENTO, CA - More than 32,000 people kill themselves each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And mental health experts expect those numbers increase because of the economy.

"We're definitely seeing the numbers of suicides go up," said Dr. Debra Moore, Ph.D. "In the Great Depression we saw a spike. When the recovery came in the 40s we saw a decrease. We saw a decrease in the late 90s and early 2000s as the economy was booming. There's a correlation between the Dow Jones, the unemployment rates, the food stamp rates and suicides." (...)

Suicides dropped 40 percent after 2005 attacks: study
google.com/hostednews/afp/article 6.1.2009
LONDON (AFP) — The number of suicides in England and Wales fell by about 40 percent after the July 2005 bombings on London, scientists revealed Tuesday, echoing a trend also seen after the September 11 attacks.

Two researchers found a "small but significant reduction" in the daily suicide count five days after the attacks on July 7 that killed 52 people, they reported in the British Journal of Psychology.

Suicide rates also dropped on July 21, 2005 when bombers again targeted the capital but failed to detonate their explosives. (...)

Suicide rates fall after terror attacks
independent.co.uk 6.1.2009
(...) A similar pattern was seen after the attacks which destroyed the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001.

Psychologists believe traumatic national events such as terrorist attacks help potentially suicidal people to feel less alone and more a part of society. Dr Mario Cortina-Borja, from University College London, and Emad Salib, from the University of Liverpool, analysed daily suicide counts between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2005.

A small but significant reduction in suicide rates occurred five days after the 7 July attacks on London's transport system in which 52 people died. (...)

- Vi må unngå selvmord
nettavisen.no 6.1.2009
Politiet frykter flere selvmord som følge et økende antall inkassosaker.
Norges Politilederlag er bekymret over økningen i antall inkassosaker og namsmannsapparatets manglefulle ressurser til å behandle disse sakene.
Leder i Norges Politilederlag, Jonny Nauste, mener situasjonen er alvorlig og han viser til at det allerede har vært et par tilfeller av selvdrap i Asker og Bærum som følge av den økonomiske krisen. (...)

Tapte 10 milliarder og begikk selvmord
nettavisen.no 6.1.2009
(...) Adolf Merckle (74) var i 2008 nummer 94 på Forbes liste over verdens rikeste menn med en nettoformue på 9,2 milliarder dollar. Men etter å ha gamblet og tapt over 10 milliarder kroner i det tyske aksjemarkedet, kastet han seg mandag foran toget i byen Blaubeuren sørvest i Tyskland. (...)

Dutch Rail to focus on stopping suicides
dutchnews.nl 29.12.2008
Dutch Rail (NS) is to draw up new proposals aimed at reducing the number of people who commit suicide on the railways, news agency ANP reports.

In 2007, the latest figures available, 193 people killed themselves in Holland by jumping in front of a train. That figure, slightly up on 2006, is remarkable because the total number of suicides - 1,353 - was the lowest since 1975, according to the national statistics office CBS. (...)

Suicide 'linked to sexual abuse' (Selvmord "linket til seksuelle overgrep")
bbc.co.uk 19.12.2008
Men sexually abused in childhood are ten times more likely to contemplate suicide, say researchers at the University of Bath.

The study focused on Australian men who were sexually abused as children.
The research suggested although many of the abused men had not been clinically diagnosed as depressed, they were more likely to have suicidal tendencies.

"Childhood sexual abuse is an under-recognised problem in men," said Dr Patrick O'Leary. (...)

Overvekt gir redusert selvmordsrisiko
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2008; 128:2811 (18.12.2008)
Tre av fire selvmord begås av menn, selv om både depresjon og andre viktige risikofaktorer er mer vanlig hos kvinner.

Overvekt øker risikoen for depresjon og en lang rekke somatiske lidelser, men gir redusert risiko for selvmord. Dette er funnet i flere selekterte mannlige populasjoner de siste årene, og sammenhengen ble nylig bekreftet blant menn og kvinner i alle aldre som deltok i Helseundersøkelsen i Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT) (1).

Selvmordsrisikoen i de første 20 årene etter deltakelse i HUNT 1 (1984 - 86) var klart avtakende med økende kroppsmasseindeks. Sammenhengen ble enda tydeligere etter justering for en rekke psykologiske, sosiodemografiske og kliniske faktorer. Det er viktig å påpeke at effekten selvsagt ikke er klinisk relevant på individnivå, men at funnet kan bidra til å forstå biologiske mekanismer involvert i selvmord. (...)

FDA Requires Increased Suicidality Warning on Antiepileptic Labels
medpagetoday.com 16.12.2008
ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 16 -- The FDA announced today it will require that all 21 antiepileptic drugs carry a label warning of an increased risk of suicidality.

The warning affects all drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders, migraine, and other conditions, in addition to epilepsy.

The agency initially warned physicians of the increased risk of suicidality associated with the drugs last January. (...)

Not reporting about suicides a disservice to readers
miamiherald.com 12.12.2008
Suicide is a topic that the news media, so often accused of exploiting misery, handle with unique reserve. Most newsrooms don't cover suicides at all unless they happen in a public place or involve someone of public stature. The standoffishness is odd, since suicides are often violent deaths and, by law, are serious crimes -- both categories that normally qualify as newsworthy.

Nevertheless, under the unwritten canons of U.S. journalism, suicide is an intimately personal matter, and journalists steer clear of it. Coverage is avoided as intrusive and likely to cause needless torment to the survivors.

That diffidence feels right, but only if you don't poke at it too hard. After all, what makes the pain associated with suicide so very different from the anguish of losing someone to street crime or a car wreck that the cause of death isn't even noted publicly? And how far should this reticence go? What about when the death is first described as suspicious -- and makes the news -- and later is reclassified as self-inflicted? Why does the family of a public figure deserve such drastically reduced privacy? And how do you run an obituary for a 19-year-old without giving a cause of death? (...)

Fedre begår selvmord - vil slette gjeld
nettavisen.no 10.12.2008
- Fedrene opplever at alt blir svart, sier Nora Blaasvær i Kirkens SOS.

Tirsdag kveld ble det holdt et folkemøte i Bærum kulturhus for å gi kriseråd etter at finanskollapsen har ført til en rekke selvmord, skriver VG. (...)

- Erfaring viser at tap av økonomi og anseelse virker sterkt på menn. Flere menn sier de ønsker å ta sitt eget liv fordi de etterlatte da kan få gjeldsslette, sier Blaasvær til Nettavisen onsdag.

Hun oppfordrer alle i nær krets rundt finansofrene til å passe ekstra godt å på.

- Arrangementet tirsdag kveld var kjempefint. Det var en god opplevelse å være der, med selvopplevde erfaringer fra flere av deltakerne. Det var sterkt, sier Blaasvær til Nettavisen. (...)

JON SCHAU: - Man må ikke rømme fra alt det vonde. Da går det fort i oppløsning. Bildet er tatt fra en annen anledning.

Neste år kommer mer enn 2000 personer til å gå personlig konkurs, ifølge beregninger fra DnB NOR.

- Det beste tegnet på at noen sliter er at du ikke ser fyren lenger, sa komiker Jon Schau, ifølge VG. (...)

- Folk er livredde for å miste jobben
aftenposten.no 10.12.2008
(...) Tirsdag kveld var det folkemøte i om finanskrisen i Sandvika, et kollektivt opprop for nestekjærlighet i vanskelige tider. Nærmere 160 personer møtte frem for å lytte til råd og inspirasjon om hvordan man skal takle krisen, om hvordan man kan ta vare på hverandre og ha omsorg.

Det er ikke tilfeldig at dette folkemøtet ble holdt i Asker og Bærum. Den siste tiden har flere menn tatt livet sitt i dette området av økonomiske grunner. (...)

Grusomhetens teater
aftenposten.no 4.12.2008
PASSIVE TILSKUERE. I forrige uke satt 1500 mennesker foran dataskjermene sine og så Abraham K. Biggs begå selvmord foran et livekamera. Norske nettsteder ligger godt an til å oppleve det samme. (...)

Fakta: Tok overdose foran kamera
Abraham K. Biggs la inn et selvmordsbrev på et nettforum for bodybuildere 19. november.
I brevet var det en link til en videostrøm fra hans webkamera via justin.tv.
Deretter tok han en overdose antidepressiva.
Ikke før 12 timer etter at han tok overdosen varslet tilskuerne en moderator om at han ikke så ut til å puste.
Moderatoren sporet opp Biggs IP-adresse og varslet politiet. (...)

Utbrenthet og selvmordstanker blant medisinstudenter
Tidsskr Nor Legeforen 2008; 128:2684 (4.12.2008)
Halvparten av amerikanske medisinstudenter er utbrent og 11 % har hatt selvmordstanker i løpet av det siste året. Det viser en ny studie.

Studien omfattet nesten 4 300 medisinstudenter ved sju doktorskoler i USA (1). Utbrenthet ble rapportert hos 49,6 % og selvmordstanker hos 11,2 % det seneste året. I en sensitivitetsanalyse antok man at de som ikke hadde svart, ikke hadde hatt selvmordstanker. Da ville prevalensen av selvmordstanker i de foregående 12 månedene være 5,8 %. (...)

Teen's suicide: When should a sensitive story not be told? (Tenåringsselvmord: Når bør en sensitiv historie ikke fortelles)
sun-sentinel.com 30.11.2008
Q: I just saw on the Drudge Report that a Broward teen comitted suicide on his web cam while people watched. I do not see anything in your paper regarding this. — Christine Piquet, Fort Lauderdale.

A: We had the story, but opted not to use it after activists with suicide agencies and even members of our own staff warned us to be careful due to the danger of copycat attempts.

It could be debated whether it was a mistake or not to run the story, but there are times when we know certain facts that could make an interesting story but we choose not to publish because of sensitivities or issues we feel go beyond the public good.

What happened in this case was a Pembroke Pines teenager, depressed and on medication, chose to commit suicide by taking an overdose of drugs while his video camera streamed the event live. (...)

Drug deaths skyrocketing in Porter County (Substansrelaterte dødsfall stiger voldsomt i Porter County)
thetimesonline.com 30.11.2008
Twenty-eight people have died of accidental drug overdoses so far this year in Porter County, putting the county on pace to have twice as many deaths as the previous year and triple the number in an average year.

Heroin, cocaine and prescription drugs continue to be the top killers, according to Porter County coroner's office statistics.

Coroner Vicki Deppe said it appears there is more drug use in the county, and that is leading to more deaths. (...)

Drug deaths aren't the only things increasing in 2008 in Porter County. There have been five homicides, an increase from the average of three. Three of the homicides this year have been related to domestic disturbances and the other two have been babies who were harmed.

There have been six drownings, double the number from the previous year. Motor vehicle accident deaths have stayed about the same and suicides are down, something that is surprising because suicides often increase in bad economic times. Deppe said Northwest Indiana was slower to be affected by the failing economy, so perhaps an increase in suicides might, unfortunately, be around the corner. (...)

New SAMHSA White Paper Examines the Relationship between Suicide and Substance Abuse
samhsa.gov 29.11.2008
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new white paper focusing on the current state of knowledge about the interrelationship between substance abuse and suicide. Entitled “Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention: Evidence & Implications,” the document stresses substance abuse as a risk-factor for suicide and suicide attempts and the importance of continued learning about this connection to help prevent suicidal behavior.

The white paper provides an overview of the advances made over the past decade in the areas of substance abuse prevention and treatment, and suicide prevention-and then further examines how this knowledge can be effectively interwoven in suicide prevention efforts. The first section of the white paper focuses on the epidemiology of suicide itself and presents a brief history of the growing focus on suicide as a public health issue of significant concern. The second section provides an overview of what we know and do not know of the impact of substance abuse on suicide risk. The final section of the document explores suicide prevention within the public health context of behavioral health promotion and illness prevention.

This white paper was developed by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and may be ordered on line at: http://www.samhsa.gov/matrix2/508SuicidePreventionPaperFinal.pdf. (...)

Äldres självmordsförsök kan kopplas till missbruksproblem
dagensmedicin.se 26.11.2008
Äldre som försöker begå självmord har ofta missbruksproblem, visar en ny studie. Det är något som vården ofta missar och som kan kosta liv, anser forskaren Stefan Wiktorsson.

History of substance dependence/misuse in elderly suicide attempters.
– Förbättrade diagnostiska metoder som kan hitta missbruksproblem tidigare skulle kanske kunna förebygga många självmord hos gamla människor, säger Stefan Wiktorsson. (...)

- Finanskrisen har bidratt til selvmord
budstikka.no 26.11.2008
TA KONTAKT: Politimester Torodd Veiding har i det siste sett selvmord i Asker og Bærum hvor finanskrisen har vært en utløsende faktor.

Politimester sier flere personlige tragedier skyldes økonomiske nedgangstider.

- Vi har hatt tilfeller av selvmord i den siste tiden som åpenbart kan føres tilbake til finanskrisen, sier politimester Torodd Veiding.

- Det dreier seg om folk som har vært rammet, enten av arbeidsløshet, eller av svekket økonomi på grunn av dårlige tider i aksjemarkedet, fortsetter han. (...)

Online suicide is tragic, but don't blame Internet
canada.com 23.11.2008
A teenager invites people to watch him commit suicide over the Internet. Hundreds log on and watch. Some of them urge him on, laughing at him, calling him "faggot" and "coward." By the time Florida police were alerted to the Nov. 19 online tragedy of Abraham Biggs, the 19-year-old was dead. (...)

There is something particularly horrible about online suicides. But can they be stopped? The simple answer is no. Live video feeds of all kinds have become part of modern life.

Most live-streaming and video sites have policies that prohibit the webcasting of violent or disturbing content. But technically, the problem with sites such as YouTube or Justin.tv, the site where Biggs' suicide was shown, is that with millions of videos uploaded, it's just not possible for administrators to know what is being shown. (...)

Elder suicide risk persists in long-term care
reuters.com 20.11.2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Suicide has not declined among elderly people living in long-term care facilities as it has among community-living elders, research hints.

In a review of the 1,771 suicide deaths between 1990 and 2005 among New York City residents aged 60 and older, researchers found a significant decrease in the relative rate of suicide in community-dwelling adults, but no change among elders living in long-term care facilities. (...)

Mental Health and Suicide Risk
ivanhoe.com 20.11.2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For the first time, researchers discovered a link between specific psychiatric disorders and increased risk of suicide.

New research shows men and women suffering from unipolar disorder (major depression), bipolar disorder (manic depression) or schizophrenia are at a very high risk of committing suicide within a year of their first attempt. (...)

Ett av tio misslyckade självmord fullbordas senare
dagensmedicin.se 19.11.2008
v tio personer som försöker begå självmord fullbordar en senare ett självmord. Det visar en ny studie från Karolinska institutet.

En person som har försökt att ta livet av sig har förhöjd risk att senare lyckas begå självmord. Risken är extra hög för personer som har en psykisk sjukdom. Det visar en studie som i dag publiceras i tidskriften British Medical Journal, BMJ.

(Anm: Risk of suicide after suicide attempt according to coexisting psychiatric disorder: Swedish cohort study with long term follow-up. BMJ 2008;337:a2205 (18 November).)

Hospital admissions for self harm after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care: cohort study
BMJ 2008;337:a2278 (18 November)
Objective To determine the risk of non-fatal self harm in the 12 months after discharge from psychiatric inpatient care.
Design Cohort study based on national hospital episode statistics. (...)

Conclusion More than 6% of patients discharged from psychiatric inpatient care are readmitted for an episode of self harm within 12 months, with one third of these episodes occurring in the month after discharge. Self harm after discharge from hospital shares many of the features of suicide after discharge. Interventions should be developed to reduce risk in this period. (...)

SUN EDITORIAL:
A bad situation
lasvegassun.com 16.11.2008
Las Vegas leaders should be looking to decrease rate of suicide among residents, visitors

A new study suggests that just being in Las Vegas — either as a tourist or resident — increases a person’s risk of suicide.

The high rate of suicides is a well-known statistic here, but this study, led by former UNLV sociologist Matt Wray, examines the numbers in a new and sobering way.

Wray, who is now at Temple University in Philadelphia, and his team found that Clark County residents were as much as 62 percent more likely to commit suicide than U.S. residents elsewhere.

Visitors were more than twice as likely to commit suicide if they came to Las Vegas than if they stayed home. Travelers who came here were twice as likely to commit suicide than travelers to other cities.

Wray and his team suggest more study is needed to determine why there is such a high rate of suicide here. The blame is typically laid on the so-called “gambler’s despair” or alcohol and drug abuse. But casinos, drugs and alcohol are not limited to Nevada. (...)

Chantix Suicides Reported with European Version of Drug
aboutlawsuits.com 11.11.2008
Concerns about Chantix suicide side effects first started to emerge in November 2007, when the FDA issued an “Early Communication” about an on-going investigation into at least 39 reports of Chantix suicides and nearly 500 reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior involving the drug in the United States.

Since that time, the FDA has required Pfizer to add a “black box” warning about the psychological side effects of Chantix, and many users who took their own life or suffered severe physical injuries as a result of a suicide attempt are filing Chantix lawsuits against Pfizer for failing to previously warn about the risk associated with the drug. (...)

Alcohol features in one in six suicides, psychiatrist claims
irishtimes.com 11.11.2008
THE INEXTRICABLE and alarming link between heavy drinking and suicide in Ireland - particularly in the impromptu suicides of young men - has been highlighted at a national conference in Cork.

Dr Jane Marshall, consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London, said alcohol was implicated in one in six suicides in Ireland, but she believed the rate was much higher than this in reality.

"Suicide rates are lower in women because of lower rates of alcohol and substance abuse, but as women drink more, we will probably see a corresponding increase in suicide among young women," she told the Irish College of General Practice (ICGP) conference in Cork on Saturday. (...)

Japan clamps down on suicide sites as number of gassings soar
telegraph.co.uk 3.11.2008
Police in Japan have launched a crackdown on internet suicide sites after the number of people gassing themselves with household chemicals rose almost 30 times in one year.

More than 870 people have killed themselves by mixing household chemicals and inhaling hydrogen sulfide gas so far this year, according to government figures.

The method has sparked a series of mass-evacuations in homes and hotels because the gas forms noxious clouds that can also poison those nearby.
The internet has long been studied by suicide fads in Japan, which is home to the one of the highest rates in the industrialised world.

Police are now clamping down on the most popular sites, including those that provide instructions on how to commit suicide by gassing. (...)

Health problems behind 60% of suicides: report
japantimes.co.jp 1.11.2008
Health problems prompted 60 percent of suicides in Japan in 2007, according to a government report released Friday.

The 2008 white paper on measures to prevent suicides cites the need for enhancing people's mental health by improving medical services for treating depression and other mental diseases, and boosting mental health care in the workplace. (...)

Cocaine, prescription drugs often found in autopsies
japantimes.co.jp 1.11.2008
(...) The three most frequently occurring drugs found during autopsies around Florida were alcohol, all benzodiazepines and cocaine, according to the statewide report.

Benzodiazepines are among the most commonly prescribed depressant medications in the United States, according to the Center for Substance Abuse Research. Among these drugs are Xanax and Valium. (...)

Army and Agency Will Study Rising Suicide Rate Among Soldiers
nytimes.com 29.10.2008
Conceding it needed outside help in figuring out why the suicide rate among service members was rising, the Army announced plans on Wednesday to collaborate with the National Institute of Mental Health in an ambitious five-year project to identify the causes and risk factors of suicide. (...)

Suicides in the Army have been climbing since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2007, 115 soldiers killed themselves, a rate of 18.1 per 100,000 people, or 1 percent lower than the civilian rate.

Of the 115, 36 soldiers killed themselves while deployed overseas, 50 had deployed at some point before the act and returned, and 29 had never deployed. Only a fraction had a prior diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. (...)

Poor youth likelier to try suicide (Selvmord mer sannsynlig blant fattige ungdommer)
canada.com 27.10.2008
Older teens living in poor neighbourhoods are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers in more affluent environments, according to a national study published in the journal Psychological Medicine.

The study, conducted by researchers from Universite de Montreal, Montreal's Sainte-Justine Hospital Centre and Tufts University in the United States, found that youth in poor neighbourhoods were also more sensitive to upheavals in life, which caused them to be twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts.

"Difficult events, such as personally knowing someone who has committed suicide or experiencing a painful breakup with a romantic partner, apparently led to increased suicidal thoughts or attempts," said Veronique Dupere, lead author and a post-doctoral fellow at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. "Difficult events seemed to have a more dramatic impact on these teenagers." (...)

Flere selvmord etter samlivsbrudd
side2.no 25.10.2008
SELVMORD: Mange har vanskeligheter for å takle et samlivsbrudd. Det kan få alvorlige konsekvenser. (...)

Større innvirkning enn først antatt
Barstaad er forsker ved Statistisk sentralbyrå, og han avsluttet denne uken sin doktorgrad som omhandler nordmenns velferd, levekår og sosiale integrasjon.
- Noen forskere har funnet at flere skilsmisser i befolkningen gir flere selvmord.

Men ved å ta med separasjonene i beregningsmodellen fikk jeg plutselig en indikasjon på at brudd i kjærlighetsforhold har større påvirkning enn flere har trodd, sier han ifølge Forskning.no. (...)

Acute suicidality after commencing atomoxetine
J Paediatr Child Health. 2008 Oct;44(10):596-8
An 11 year old boy developed acute agitation and suicidal ideation after commencing atomoxetine shortly after it was approved for use in Australia. The clinical features were similar to reactions described in response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The case highlights the importance of close monitoring when starting newly registered medications. An increased risk of suicidal thinking was subsequently identified for this drug leading to a Food and Drug Administration alert and a boxed warning in September 2005, however there are still no other published case reports of acute suicidality. (...)

Slankepille har ført til flere selvmord
aftenposten.no 25.10.2008
Over 5000 nordmenn bruker legemiddelet. Nå vil EU stanse salget. (...)

Study: Middle-Age Women Driving Up U.S. Suicide Rate
foxnews.co 21.10.2008
(...) The number of women committing suicide has increased dramatically over the past decade and is driving up the nation's suicide rate as a whole, a new study finds. (...)

The increase in the overall suicide rate between 1999 and 2005 was due primarily to an increase in suicides among whites ages 40-64, with white middle-age women experiencing the largest annual increase, according to the study, which will be published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (...)

Hanging/suffocation accounted for 22 percent of all suicides by 2005, surpassing poisoning at 18 percent, researchers found.

The study's authors said the reasons for the increased suicide rate are not fully understood and that more research is needed. (...)

U.S. suicide rate is up
latimes.com 21.10.2008
It's climbed steadily since 1999. The most alarming increase is among middle-age adults: nearly 16%.

After falling for more than a decade, the U.S. suicide rate has climbed steadily since 1999, driven by an alarming increase among middle-age adults, researchers said Monday.

A new six-year analysis in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that the U.S. suicide rate rose to 11 per 100,000 people in 2005, from 10.5 per 100,000 in 1999, an increase of just under 5%. (...)

Stressed junior doctors in hospitals driven to suicide
theaustralian.news.com.au 20.10.2008
GRUELLING workloads and the pressure of providing high-quality patient care have resulted in junior doctors in public hospitals becoming so stressed and unwell that some have committed suicide. (...)

Beklager selvmord på sykehus
nrk.no 19.10.2008
Sykehuset Østfold beklager overfor pårørende at pasienter har tatt sitt liv mens de har vært til behandling ved sykehuset for psykiske lidelser. (...)

Ifølge en rapport ble det begått alvorlige brudd på helseloven i forbindelse med tre selvmord i 2007.

Helsetilsynet i Østfold mener sykehuset ikke har gjort nok for å bedre selvmordsforebyggende arbeid. (...)

Strengere våpenlov i Norge
nrk.no 16.10.2008
Det blir snart strengere regler for oppbevaring av våpen. (...)

De nye reglene innføres for å forebygge mot selvmord.

Lars Mehlum i Nasjonalt senter for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging tror loven vil ha en forebyggende effekt.

Det er ikke første gang bestemmelsene om oppbevaring av våpen er blitt innskjerpet, og da har en sett at antallet skyteselvmord har gått ned. (...)

Ville ta sitt liv – fikk medisiner
f-b.no 16.10.2008
(...) Resepten ble aldri brukt. Mannen hennes rev den i stykker før de var utenfor sykehusområdet.

– Jeg var så syk at jeg ikke var i denne verden. Og så ble jeg skrevet ut, og attpåtil med beskjed om å ta piller. Jeg prøvde å argumentere for at jeg ikke kunne dra hjem, men det hjalp ikke. (...)

Suicides from financial crisis cause concern
ap.google.com 14.10.2008
An out-of-work money manager in California loses a fortune and wipes out his family in a murder-suicide. A 90-year-old Ohio widow shoots herself in the chest as authorities arrive to evict her from the modest house she called home for 38 years.

In Massachusetts, a housewife who had hidden her family's mounting financial crisis from her husband sends a note to the mortgage company warning: "By the time you foreclose on my house, I'll be dead."

Then Carlene Balderrama shot herself to death, leaving an insurance policy and a suicide note on a table. (...)

Golden Gate får selvmordsnett
nrk.no 13.10.2008
Den berømte Golden Gate-brua i San Fransisco skal få nett mot selvmordsforsøk. (...)

Selvmordsnettet får en prislapp på nærmere 310 millioner kroner og kommer til å strekke seg 6 meter utenfor på begge sider.

Gjennomsnittlig 20 mennesker begår hvert år selvmord ved å klatre over det 1,2 meter høye gjerdet og kaste seg de 75 meterne ned i San Francisco-bukta. (...)

Family Blames Soldier's Suicide on Anti-Malaria Drug (Familie mener soldaters selvmord skyldes malariamedisin)
washingtonpost.com 12.10.2008
Lariam Known to Have Side Effects (...)

A report by Army psychiatrist Robert Ensley suggested that the influence of Lariam (Roche Pharmaceuticals' brand name for mefloquine) was a likely factor in the suicide.

"If toxicology reveals the presence of mefloquine, SPC Torres' case should be viewed in light of other suicides suspected to be associated with the drug," said Ensley's report, which noted Torres' symptoms began shortly after deployment, when his unit began taking Lariam, and appeared to abate on a visit home, when he may have stopped the medication. (...)

New Mexico Prozac Murder-Suicide Case Takes Another Twist
law.lexisnexis.com 9.10.2008
Mark Gilbert Rimbert’s case against Prozac maker Eli Lilly & Co. just keeps heating up, but this time the turmoil involves Judge James O. Browning, who was taken off the case today after informing attorneys that his son recently attempted suicide after his psychiatrist prescribed Prozac to him. (...)

Report sees rise in child accident deaths, suicide
mercurynews.com 7.10.2008
The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS—A new report finds a nearly 25 percent increase in the number of accidental child deaths in Clark County in 2007, and a 33 percent rise in child suicides.

The report submitted Tuesday to the Clark County Commission found the number of child suicides rose from nine in 2006 to 12 in 2007.

It found 66 children died accidentally in 2007, up from 53 in 2006. Another 43 children died of what the Clark County coroner ruled were natural causes.
The annual Child Death Review was prepared by the Nevada Institute for Children?s Research and Policy at UNLV. (...)

Report: Net could stop Golden Gate Bridge suicides
mercurynews.com 4.10.2008 (The Associated Press)
SAN FRANCISCO—Golden Gate Bridge officials say a net hanging 20 feet below the world-famous span is the cheapest and safest way to prevent bridge suicides.

Golden Gate Transportation District officials recommend the net over other suicide barrier options in a report released Friday that will be presented to the agency's board of directors next week.

Bridge district engineer Denis Mulligan says the net would have the least impact on bridge operations and cost $78,000 a year to maintain. (...)

Spike in Youth Suicides Spurs Search for Causes
Psychiatr News 2008;43:1 (October 3) (American Psychiatric Association)
The national rate of suicide deaths among 10- to 19-year-olds in 2005 confirms that the uptick in 2004 was not a random phenomenon but may be a troubling trend. (...)

"The question now for the FDA is what epidemiological evidence would be enough to prompt the agency to reconsider its previous decision about the black-box warning because of these reported signs of unintended consequences," said Regier. (...)

Gun shows do not increase homicides or suicides
physorg.com 1.10.2008
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study finds no evidence that gun shows lead to substantial increases in either gun-related homicides or suicides. (...)

"We believe that this analysis makes an important contribution to understanding the influence of gun shows, the regulation of which is arguably the most active area of federal, state, and local firearms policy," said Brian Jacob, a professor at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. (...)

Data came from the dates and locations of more than 3,400 gun shows, and firearm-related deaths from 1994 to 2004. More than 105,000 homicides and suicides were reported in the two states during the 11-year period. (...)

Number of suicides by drowning on rise
irishtimes.com 30.9.2008
Suicides still account for over half of all reported drownings, according to new figures released today by Irish Water Safety (IWS).

The IWS reported a total of 156 drownings last year, up from 131 in 2006 when the lowest number in 40 years was recorded. (...)

Children killed with kindness as murder-suicide rate rises - Feature
earthtimes.org 1.10.2008
Hong Kong - Businessman's son Leung Tze-ho was only a few days away from his third birthday when he was found dead in his Hong Kong home on September 9, curled up in the lifeless arms of his mother and father. Messages left by his seemingly well-off parents indicated they faced financial ruin and decided to kill themselves by burning charcoal to give off deadly fumes. But why did they take their son with them to the grave?

Murder-suicides involving children are on the rise in Hong Kong and other Chinese societies across Asia - and researchers examining the tragic trend believe a deluded sense of kindness lies behind the killings.

In Hong Kong, the number of cases has risen from five to six a year in the past 10 years while in Taiwan, the annual rate has leapt from around six to 28 a year, a study by the University of Hong Kong and University of Macau has found. (...)

Berømt band får skyld for skole-massakrer
bt.dk 30.9.2008
Det tysk-amerikanske band KMFDM får nu indirekte skylden for skole-massakrerne i Finland – og på Columbine i USA tilbage i 1999.

Flere medier har allerede hæftet sig ved, at gerningsmændene fra såvel de to skolemassakre i Finland som den i USA, alle lyttede på musik fra net det berømte band.

Bandets medlemmer er chokeret over sammenkoblingen til massemordere, og tager kraftigt afstand fra skriverierne. (...)

Sykehusdirektør anmeldt etter selvmord
aftenposten.no 30.9.2008
Divisjonsdirektør Trond Rangnes ved Akershus universitetssykehus ble i går anmeldt for medvirkning til selvmord.

Som øverste ansvarlig for det psykiatriske tilbud ved Ahus, blir divisjonsdirektør Trond Rangnes holdt ansvarlig for å ha medvirket til at en 26 år gammel kvinne tok sitt eget liv 11. november 2006. Det var like etter at hun ble skrevet ut fra sykehuset siste gang.

Først ville familien bare anmelde sykehuset, men nå har de anmeldt direktøren personlig. (...)

A very sick empire
haaretz.com 28.9.2008
It is said that in 1929, when the stock exchange on Wall Street collapsed, hundreds of speculators jumped to their deaths through the windows of the Manhattan skyscrapers in which they worked. In reality, only a few suicides actually occurred. The real blow was felt three years after the stock exchange fell, when a large-scale crisis in the banking sector plunged the U.S. economy into an economic depression that nearly lasted until the end of the decade. In 1932, the number of suicides in the U.S. reached a record high. (...)

YouTube smitter ikke
PETTER BAE BRANDTZÆG, forsker og stipendiat ved SINTEF og Institutt for medier og kommunikasjon, Universitetet i Oslo
aftenposten.no 25.9.2008
Enda en gang er en skolemassakre i Finland blitt koblet til YouTube. Enda en gang roper pressen på bedre overvåking av Internett.

Igjen advarer presse og forskere mot smitteeffekter. Enda en gang skriker bilder av gjerningsmannen og videoer på nettavisenes førstesider. (...)

Hvorfor rammes skoler?
TOR STRAND, tidligere utenriksmedarbeider og lærer
aftenposten.no 25.9.2008
Massakren i Finland. Det er et påfallende trekk ved kommentarene etter de tragiske massemordene på finske skoler at nettvold og unge menneskers fantasiflukt langs voldens veier utgjør en vesentlig del av årsaksforklaringen. Dette, sammen med altfor lett tilgang til våpen, særlig i de parallelle amerikanske tilfellene, er utvilsomt relevant.

Men jeg tror dette ikke er grunnleggende forklaringer på tragediene, snarere dreier det seg om utløsende faktorer, instrumenter, til realisering av mer dyptliggende frustrasjoner. (...)

Jeg tror ikke det er grunnlag for å fremsette bastante konklusjoner om sammenhengen mellom vold i amerikanske og finske skoler og skolesystemene i de to lands skoler, men det burde være på høy tid at kommentatorene og politikerne stiller spørsmålet om det er en tilfeldighet at målet for volden er skoler, og at de som utøver volden, også har sin skoleerfaring. (...)

– Skoleskyting kan skje i Norge
forskning.no 24.9.2008
Oslo (NTB-Linus Hauge): Det er ikke tvil om at skoletragedier som den i Finland tirsdag også kan skje i Norge, mener voldsforsker Kåre T. Pettersen. (...)

Voldsforsker Ragnhild Bjørnebekk ved Psykologisk institutt ved Universitetet i Oslo vil ikke gå like langt som kollegaen ved Høgskolen i Østfold når det gjelder faren for slike tragedier her hjemme.

– Jeg tror ikke dette vil kunne skje i Norge, men vi kan aldri si aldri, sier Bjørnebekk til NTB.

Bjørnebekk som tidligere var forsker ved Politihøgskolen, sier man vet om rundt 50 slike skolemassakrer siden 1970-tallet. (...)

Suicide attempt a depressing drug side effect
theaustralian.news.com.au 20.9.2008
THIS is a story that can be interpreted in more ways than one. It's about a 14-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl whom we'll call Sarah. When you're 14, you don't want the rest of the world knowing your business, especially not the bit about the time you overdosed and wound up in hospital. (...)

The evidence, according to them, is lying on the dining table in their lounge room the day the mother and I meet. It is an empty packet of the antidepressant Zoloft. Their daughter took half a 50mg tablet for three days, as instructed by her doctor, then on the fourth day emptied the rest of the packet down her throat in one long gulp. (...)

Helsetilsynet refser sykehus etter selvmord
aftenposten.no 17.9.2008
Helsetilsynet mener Akershus universitetssykehus gjorde flere grove feil da en 26 år gammel kvinne tok sitt eget liv for to år siden.

26-åringen var innlagt etter selvmordsforsøk, men ble friskmeldt og skrevet ut fra psykiatrisk avdeling ved Akershus universitetssykehus (Ahus). Elleve dager senere tok hun sitt eget liv. (...)

Sygehus nedtoner patients risiko for selvmord
politiken.dk 14.9.2008
Sygehus ændrede forklaring, da Embedslægen spurgte til patient, der begik selvmord. (...)

Men det skriver overlægen, der var ansvarlig for behandlingen, ikke i sin redegørelse til Embedslægen. Han konstaterer blot, at der var tale om en »mulig suicidalfarlighed«.

Personalet vurderer en patients risiko for at begå selvmord for at afgøre, hvor tæt de skal observere ham.

»Lægen dækker sig ind for at undgå, at han selv og resten af personalet kommer i skudlinjen for at have gjort noget forkert. Det skal vi ikke acceptere«, siger Nethe Zajaczkowska, Sinds talskvinde. (...)

Suicides by pregnant women, new mothers under-reported
sindhtoday.net 12.9.2008
Sydney, Sep 12 (IANS) Nearly twice as many women commit suicide during pregnancy or the time around childbirth than previously thought, according to University of New South Wales researchers.

The results highlighted the significance of perinatal (period shortly before and after birth) mental health, with suicide being the leading cause of indirect death, followed by cardiac disorders. Deaths from accidents and violence are also significant. (...)

Sygeplejersker kan hindre selvmordsforsøg
berlingske.dk 10.9.2008
Hvis en sygeplejerske aktivt opsøger folk, som har forsøgt at begå selvmord, kan man reducere risikoen for yderligere forsøg markant, viser opsigtsvækkende undersøgelse.

Der skal meget lidt til at undgå, at et menneske, der har forsøgt selvmord, forsøger igen. En række besøg eller opkald fra en sygeplejerske er nok til at reducere risikoen med 38 procent, viser en endnu ikke offentliggjort undersøgelse fra Amager Hospital, skriver Kristeligt Dagblad. (...)

Suicide Rate Among Young Male Veterans Reaches Record High in 2006, Department of Veterans Affairs Reports
kaisernetwork.org 9.9.2008
The suicide rate among young male veterans who served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reached a record high in 2006, the latest year for which records are available, according to data released on Tuesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs, USA Today reports.

According to the data, the suicide rate among male veterans ages 18 to 29 who use VA services increased to 46 suicides per 100,000 in 2006, compared with a rate of 20 per 100,000 among male civilians in the same age group. The data also indicate that 141 male veterans who left the military after Sept. 11, 2001, committed suicide between 2002 and 2005, compared with 113 in 2006. The data did not specify the number of those 113 veterans who were in combat. (...)

VA report: Male U.S. veteran suicides at highest in 2006
usatoday.com 8.9.2008
WASHINGTON — Suicide rates for young male Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans hit a record high in 2006, according to statistics to be released Tuesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (...)

- Kan unngå mange av de spontane tragediene
dagbladet.no 7.9.2008
FIKK BEDRE SIKRING: Tromsø-brua, mellom Tromsø og Tromsdalen, ble for en tid tilbake utstyrt med rekkverk. Det har gitt en reduksjon i antall selvmordsforsøk. (...)

- Det er et behov, og vi ønsker at det også kan gjøres andre steder, på lik linje med andre tiltak som gjøres ved selvmordsforebyggende arbeid, sier informasjonsansvarlig i LEVE Therese Grøm. (...)

Guns and Suicide in the United States
NEJM 2008;359:989-991 (September 4)
(...) In 2005, the most recent year for which mortality data are available, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among Americans 40 years of age or younger. Among Americans of all ages, more than half of all suicides are gun suicides. In 2005, an average of 46 Americans per day committed suicide with a firearm, accounting for 53% of all completed suicides. Gun suicide during this period accounted for 40% more deaths than gun homicide. (...)

Elevated Rate Of Teen Suicide Stirs Concern
online.wsj.com 3.9.2008
Trend Is Linked to Drop in Use Of Antidepressants After FDA Raised Worries

A new study may bolster the argument that a drop in the use of antidepressants has led to an increase in teen suicides.

Researchers said an analysis that included 2005 data -- the latest available -- shows that a surprising rise in the youth suicide rate in 2004 was largely sustained into the next year. While the rate dropped somewhat in 2005, researchers said, it remained higher than expected. The rise in suicides coincided with Food and Drug Administration advisories about antidepressants that led to an October 2004 decision to require strong "black box" warnings on all antidepressants' labels. (...)

Guns in the home may increase suicide risk
newscientist.com 3.9.2008
Are gun owners more likely to kill themselves? Two doctors who think so are asking lawmakers and psychologists to take a new look at the risks of firearms.

Matthew Miller of the Harvard School of Public Health studied four years of data in the US and found higher rates of suicides involving firearms in states with more gun owners - up to four times higher for men and eight times higher for women. The numbers of suicides not involving firearms, on the other hand, were the same. (...)

Teen Suicide Rates Remain Abnormally High
medpagetoday.com 2.9.2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 2 -- Suicides among 10- to 19-year-olds in 2005 remained well above expected levels for a second straight year, researchers here said.

From 1996 to 2003, teen suicide rates underwent a steady decline, but in 2004, the overall rate suddenly increased 18% from the previous year.

In 2005, the most recent year for such data, the rate was somewhat lower than the previous year -- 4.49 per 100,000 versus 4.74 in 2004 -- but the level was still well above the 95% confidence limit of projections based on the previous trend (95% CI 3.47 to 4.15).

So reported Jeffrey A. Bridge, Ph.D., of Nationwide Children's Hospital, and colleagues in the Sept. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. He said the finding suggests that the jump seen in 2004 was not a statistical anomaly. (...)

(Anm: Suicide Trends Among Youths Aged 10 to 19 Years in the United States, 1996-2005. JAMA 2008; 300: 1025-26.)

Suicide risks studied in drugs for physical ills
ap.google.com 31.8.2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cody Miller was a high school football player who was allergic to ragweed. Douglas Briggs was a doctor coping with pain from an old back injury.

Both are now dead, hanging victims driven to suicide, their families believe, when drugs prescribed to relieve physical symptoms upset their mental and emotional balance.

Federal drug regulators are investigating to see if the families could be right. (...)

List of drugs with suicide concerns
ap.google.com 31.8.2008 (Associated Press)
A list of some prescription medications for which concerns have been raised involving suicidal thoughts and actions:

_All antidepressants. Drugs such as Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin and Zoloft carry required warnings that the medications can increase suicidal thinking and behavior in some children, adolescents and young adults.

_Anticonvulsives. Drugs such as Depakote, Lyrica and Neurontin are used to treat seizures and other conditions. A recent FDA analysis found a small increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior. An advisory panel recommended against applying the agency's strongest warning to the drugs.

_Chantix. The FDA is investigating whether the smoking cessation drug triggers psychiatric symptoms.

_Singulair. The FDA is investigating whether the drug for asthma and allergies can prompt suicidal thoughts.

_Accutane. The acne drug carries a warning that it may cause suicidal thoughts and behavior in rare cases. (...)

FDA lacks requirement for suicide screening of medications that affect the brain
startribune.com 31.8.2008
(...) Until now, the Food and Drug Administration's attention to the suicide risks of medications has focused on psychiatric drugs, such as antidepressants prescribed to youngsters. But this year, officials unexpectedly broadened their concerns to include a medication for asthma, drugs for controlling seizures and even one for quitting smoking. Those are medical conditions not usually associated with psychiatric disorders. (...)

Drugged girl, 15, a reluctant bomb martyr (Dopet 15. årig jente, motvillig bombemartyr)
scotsman.com 30.8.2008
RANIA is only 15, but in the past week the softly-spoken Iraqi girl has been drugged and strapped with explosives, before being arrested and thrown into a detention centre.

Now she finds herself at the heart of a propaganda war waged by the Iraqi security forces against the al-Qaeda militants who tried to use her as a suicide bomber. (...)

'Let victims' families close suicide tribute websites'
timesonline.co.uk 28.8.2008 (The Times)
Families of suicide victims should be able to demand the immediate shutdown of the victim's pages on social networking websites, the MP for Bridgend, the South Wales town at the centre of a series of youth suicides, has told a conference in Glasgow. (...)

Injured troops increasingly turning to prescription medication
rutlandherald.com 27.8.2008
In the last six months of his life, Staff Sgt. Mark Waltz tried 23 different prescription medications to relieve the pain of war.

He came home from his second tour of Iraq suffering from combat stress, a traumatic brain injury and relentless back pain. (...)

Some experts question the wisdom of prescribing Topamax widely to soldiers.

This year, the Food and Drug Administration warned that some anti-epileptic drugs, including topiramate (generic Topamax), increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behavior, although the overall risk remains low. (...)

Annual surveys by a military mental-health advisory team, however, have asked soldiers whether they have taken medicine for mental health, combat stress or sleep problems.

The number who said "yes" jumped from 8 percent in 2004 to 14 percent in 2005, then dipped to 12 percent in 2006.

Last year, one in eight soldiers surveyed in Iraq and one in seven in Afghanistan said they had taken sleeping pills or antidepressants. (...)

Poverty and isolation blamed for big rise in suicides
timesonline.co.uk 26.8.2008 (The Times)
A massive rise in the number of young men and those in early middle age who have taken their own lives has sustained Scotland's unenviable reputation as one of Europe's suicide blackspots. (...)

The Scottish figures were published ahead of a European conference on suicide and suicidal behaviour, being held in Glasgow this week. (...)

The Bridge of Death
abcnews.go.com 26.8.2008
A Controversial Film Documents Suicides in Their Final Moments on the Golden Gate Bridge (...)

More Than 50% of College Students Felt Suicidal
abcnews.go.com 18.8.2008
New Study Suggests Problem of Suicide in University Students Is Growing

Aug. 18, 2008— BOSTON -- A comprehensive study of suicidal thinking among college students found more than half of the 26,000 surveyed had suicidal thoughts at some point during their lifetime. The web-based survey conducted in spring 2006 used separate samples of undergraduate and graduate students from 70 colleges and universities across the country. (...)

The findings, which were presented Sunday at a session of the American Psychological Association's annual meeting, were compiled from online surveys conducted by the National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education based at the UT-Austin. (...)

Patterns of suicide by occupation in England and Wales: 2001–2005
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2008) 193: 73-76
(...) Results
Among men, in 2001–2005, construction workers, and plant and machine operatives had the greatest number of suicides. The highest PMRs were for health professionals (PMR=164) and agricultural workers (PMR=133). Among women, administrative and secretarial workers had the greatest number of suicides yet the highest PMRs were found for health (PMR=232), and sport and fitness (PMR=244) occupations. (...)

Study: Suicide thoughts common in college students
bostonherald.com 17.8.2008
More than half of 26,000 students from 70 colleges and universities who completed a survey on suicidal experiences reported having at least one episode of suicidal thinking during their lives.

Fifteen percent said they seriously considered acting on the thoughts and more than five percent reported making at least one suicide attempt. (...)

Depression Prompts Thoughts Of Death In Cancer Patients
medicalnewstoday.com 12.8.2008
Cancer patients are three times more likely to think they would be "better off dead" or to contemplate suicide than the rest of the population - a Cancer Research UK study reports online today.

Patients were most likely to have these thoughts if they had substantial pain and particularly if they had serious emotional distress. (...)

Some suicides don't count
imt.ie 8.8.2008
Up to 200 suicides might not be accounted for each year because some car crashes, drownings and other incidents are not being acknowledged as suicide, a prominent TD and activist has warned. (...)

Sharp fall in number of autopsies 'puts patients' lives at risk' (Kraftig fall i antall obduksjoner "setter pasienters liv i fare")
independent.co.uk 3.8.2008
Autopsy numbers have fallen by up to 90 per cent in some areas in recent years, and that is making it harder to spot trends in disease development, misdiagnoses and evidence of substandard care.

Medical errors are picked up in nearly 40 per cent of post-mortem examinations, which offer a vital tool for improving patient care. Health officials then scrutinise death certificates to identify public health priorities. (...)

There are two types of autopsy: those ordered by a coroner for sudden and suspicious deaths, and those in which doctors need consent from bereaved relatives for patients who die in hospital. The current crisis is in the latter group.

Consent autopsies were once carried out on 10 per cent of people who died in hospital. But The Independent on Sunday has discovered that in some areas less than 1 per cent of deaths now result in an autopsy. (...)

The number of autopsies plummeted following the Bristol and Alder Hey organ-retention scandals. But research by the Royal College of Pathologists found the decline is largely due to doctors no longer asking relatives for permission.

Some doctors may not want to risk finding out they did something wrong or could have done better, according to Professor Furness. "The reason to request a post-mortem is to essentially find out if you got it right or not, so it may be easier for some doctors not to find out," he said. (...)

The number of suicides in England has reached a record low, figures show
telegraph.co.uk 1.8.2008
Particular progress has been made in cutting the number of young men who killed themselves a study has found, although prison suicide rates rose significantly.

The three-year average was 8.3 suicides per 100,000 people in 2004-06, down from 8.5 in the previous three years, according to the National Institute for Mental Health in England report. (...)

New report shows national suicide rate at record low
7thspace.com 2.8.2008
Continued fall in suicide rate among young men

The national suicide rate is at its lowest ever level, Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis announced today following publication of the latest progress report from the National Institute for Mental Health in England. The report also expressed continued concern about the dangers of insensitive media reporting following events in Bridgend.

The 2007 Annual Report of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England highlights progress made over the last year: (...)

The latest annual report of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England can be found at http://www.nimhe.csip.org.uk (...)

Suicides up sharply in English prisons
reuters.com 1.8.2008
LONDON (Reuters) - Suicides in English prisons rose by over 15 percent last year, but overall the national suicide rate is at its lowest-ever level, the Department of Health said on Friday.

While 82 prisoners took their own lives between 2007 and 2008, the overall suicide rate in England was 8.3 deaths per 100,000 people for the three year period of 2004-2006, compared with the previous three-year average of 8.5.

Britain's prison population is over 80,000, close to total capacity, with many held in police cells. (...)

Guns and Health
NEJM 2008;359:517-518 (July 31)
(...) It is well documented in the medical literature that regulation of guns benefits the public health. For example, a careful study⁴ demonstrated that the 1976 restrictive handgun law in the District of Columbia, which was the focus of the Heller case, resulted in an immediate decline of approximately 25% in homicides and suicides by firearms, but there was no such decline in adjacent areas that did not have restrictive laws.

With the weakening of handgun regulations, we are very concerned about the health of the public, especially young people, whose safety is disproportionately affected by firearms. We have a heightened concern about suicide, in which impulsivity may have an important role; ready access to a gun may significantly increase the risk of completion.^5,6 We believe that a sensible level of regulation is essential. There is no language in the Constitution that would limit regulation. (...)

Study identifies DNA changes in major depression, suicide
scienceblog.com 30.7.2008
Autopsies usually point to a cause of death, but now a study of brain tissue collected during these procedures may explain an underlying cause of major depression and suicide, according to University of Western Ontario researcher. (...)

“We have about 40,000 genes in every cell and the main reason a brain cell is a brain cell is because only a small fraction of the genes are turned on,” says Poulter. “The remaining genes that are not expressed are shut down by an epigenetic process called DNA methylation.”

The rate of methylation in the suicide brains was found to be much greater than that of the control group. Importantly, one of the genes they studied was shown to be heavily chemically modified and its expression was reduced. This particular gene plays a major role in regulating brain activity.

“Interestingly enough, adds Poulter, the nature of this chemical modification is long term and hard to reverse, and this fits with depression. (...)

Japan's suicide epidemic tied to economy
freep.com 24.7.2008
TOKYO -- A deadly suicide fad is sweeping Japan: Hundreds of Japanese have killed themselves this year by mixing ordinary household chemicals into a lethal cloud of poison gas that often injures others and forces the evacuation of entire apartment blocks. (...)

Otte-årige børn forsøger selvmord
avisen.dk 21.7.2008
Flere og flere børn er i selvmordsfare. Sådan lyder meldingen fra landets hospitaler. Det er ofte en desperat reaktion på mobning, kærestesorger og problemer med forældre. (...)

- Vi får stadig flere og flere - ofte helt ned til 11 år. I langt de fleste tilfælde er der tale om piger, der har spist en overdosis af piller, og i langt de fleste tilfælde sker det som en akut reaktion på kærestesorg eller mobning, siger oversygeplejerske Else Lervad til Fyens Stiftstidende. (...)

SUICIDE AND PROPHYLAXIS (Selvmord og profylakse (forebyggelse av sykdom))
JAMA 100 Years Ago (July 18, 1908)
JAMA 2008;300(3):340 (July 16)
(...) Perhaps the most interesting phase of this question of the relation of the weather to suicide is that advanced by Prof. Edwin G. Dexter.2 He found by a comparison between the dates of nearly 2,000 cases in the city of New York and the records of the New York weather bureau on the days for which these suicides occurred, that not only is the tendency to suicide greatest in the spring and summer months, "but it is most marked on the clearest, sunniest and pleasantest days of these months. The clear dry days show the greatest number of suicides and the wet, partly cloudy days the least; and with differences too great to be attributed to accident or chance."

One other curious feature is that in times of stress the suicide rate always drops. During war time suicides are much less frequent than in peace. Other forms of stress, however, have the same favorable influence. Before the earthquake at San Francisco the suicides of that city averaged twelve a week. After the earthquake, when the whole population was homeless, destitute and exposed to hardships of every kind, there were only three suicides in three months. The decrease in the suicide rate was more than 97 per cent. (...)

Physician Suicide Rates Suggest Lack of Treatment: Greater awareness of depression needed
Clinical Psychiatry News 2008;36(7):1 (July)
Each day in the United States, roughly one doctor dies by suicide. Studies over the past 4 decades have confirmed that physicians—especially women physicians—die by suicide more frequently than people in other professions or those in the general population.

“Physicians have the means and the knowledge and access to ways to kill themselves,” Dr. Paula Clayton, a psychiatrist and medical director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said in an interview. (...)

Europe and Suicide
brainblogger.com 12.7.2008
Try and grasp this statistic: the number of people who commit suicide in the EU is larger than the number of people who die in road collisions. And so you can put it in perspective: 50,000 people die from road collisions in the EU. (...)

Children's suicide attempts raise concerns about ADHD medication
theglobeandmail.com 3.7.2008
New questions are being raised about the safety of a drug used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder amid reports that more than 40 Canadian children have attempted suicide after taking it.

The issue highlights a long-brewing debate over the decision to prescribe powerful drugs to treat complex psychiatric problems among children.
"It does raise some concerns," said Roger McIntyre, head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at Toronto's University Health Network.
"Childhood psychiatric disorders, I think, are an area [that] in and of itself remain a controversial topic."

Health Canada said it received 189 reports of adverse reactions associated with atomoxetine, sold under the name Strattera, from the time it was put on the market in February, 2005, to the end of last year.

The reports included 55 suicide attempts - 41 of which were among children aged 6 to 17, and 12 that were adults between 18 and 45. Ages were unavailable in two reports, according to information published by Health Canada in its quarterly publication on adverse drug reactions. (...)

Inside the Mind of a Suicide Jumper
abcnews.go.com 2.7.2008
Docs Say People Who Jump May Do It Because It's Convenient (...)

Both Korshunova and Meyer jumped out of Manhattan high-rises within days of each other earlier this week, the model plummeting from her ninth-floor apartment and the doctor from a window at the city hospital where he worked.

Their method of suicide is relatively unusual. The latest statistics recorded in 2005 show that firearms made up for 52.1 percent of all suicides, hanging for 22.2 percent and poison for 17.6 percent.

Jumping from tall buildings or high bridges seems to be reserved for those who are determined to die. (...)

55 Percent of Gun Deaths in America are Suicide
shortnews.com 1.7.2008
In 2005, the most recent year for which data is available, 55 percent of the gun-related deaths in the United States were suicides. There was nothing special about 2005, as suicides have been the number-one gun death for 20 of the past 25 years. (...)

The Urge to End It All
By SCOTT ANDERSON
nytimes.com 6.7.2008
“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem,” Albert Camus wrote, “and that is suicide.” How to explain why, among the only species capable of pondering its own demise, whose desperate attempts to forestall mortality have spawned both armies and branches of medicine in a perpetual search for the Fountain of Youth, there are those who, by their own hand, would choose death over life? (...)

In a moment of deep despair or rage or sadness, they turned to what was easy and quick and deadly — “the execution chamber in everyone’s kitchen,” as one psychologist described it — and that instrument allowed little time for second thoughts. Remove it, and the process slowed down; it allowed time for the dark passion to pass. (...)

Mener nettsamfunn er skyld i selvmordsbølge
vg.no 6.7.2008
(VG Nett) En britisk psykiater mener sosiale nettsamfunn har bidratt til en selvmordsbølge. Unge mennesker kan miste kontakten med virkeligheten. (...)

Psykiater Hanne Gro Wenzel har jobbet med nettavhengighet og sier det er viktig at man ikke overdriver nettbruken slik at man mister alt sitt andre sosiale liv.

- Man må være oppmerksomme på det og at det er en balanse. Det er naturlig å bruke internett sosialt, men man må spørre seg om hvor lang tid man bruker og hva man bruker det til, sier hun til VG Nett. (...)

ADVARER MOT OVERFORBRUK: Psykiatere frykter at unge mister kontrollen på virkeligheten dersom de bruker for mye tid på internett. Foto: AFP
Ifølge Sky News mener psykiater Himanshu Tyagi at steder som Facebook og MySpace må ta noe av skylden for den mye omtalte selvmordsbølgen i Bridgend. (...)

Gun Laws and Crime: A Complex Relationship
nytimes.com 29.6.2008
Lurking behind the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms were a series of fascinating, disputed and now in many ways irrelevant questions. (...)

Japanese government measures fail to cut suicide rate
guardian.co.uk 20.6.2008
Almost 100 Japanese killed themselves every day last year, according to figures out yesterday, dealing a blow to a government campaign to drastically reduce the suicide rate by 2016.

A total of 33,093 people killed themselves in 2007, up 3% from 2006 and the 10th year in a row that the number has exceeded 30,000, the national police agency said. The figure is the second highest after the 34,427 recorded suicides in 2003.

Depression was identified as the main factor in around a fifth of cases, followed by physical illness and debt. The number of elderly people who killed themselves rose 9% from a year earlier as Japan grapples with a rapidly ageing society and rising poverty among pensioners. (...)

Nearly 100 Japanese commit suicide each day
guardian.co.uk 19.6.2008
An average of almost 100 Japanese people killed themselves each day last year, according to figures out today, dealing a serious blow to a government campaign to drastically reduce the suicide rate by 2016.

A total of 33,093 people committed suicide in 2007, up 3% from 2006 and the 10th year in a row the number has exceeded 30,000, the national police agency said. The figure is the second highest after the 34,427 recorded suicides in 2003. (...)

Elderly suicides surge in Japan
bbc.co.uk 19.6.2008
Japan's elderly are worried about financial issues and rising health costs
The number of elderly people who killed themselves in Japan surged in 2007, government figures showed.

Suicides involving people over the age of 60 rose by almost 9% to 12,107, making up nearly 40% of all cases in Japan, the National Police Agency said.
Japan's elderly are increasingly concerned about money and rising health care costs.

Nationwide, the number of suicides rose by 2.9% to 33,093, the second-highest figure since records began in 1978. (...)

Insomnia linked to suicide tendency in college women
dailytimes.com 16.6.2008
Poor quality sleep and insomnia are associated with suicidal symptoms among college undergraduates, according to a study of 322 female college students between 19 and 24 years old. (...)

Drink and drugs 'key' to suicide
bbc.co.uk 15.6.2008
Alcohol and drug misuse means Scots are almost twice as likely as people south of the border to take their own life or kill, a new report has said.

Research from Manchester University also showed the number of mental health patients killing themselves or others was proportionately higher in Scotland.
The report found that the north-south divide was highest among teenagers.
It said alcohol and drugs were the "most pressing mental health problems in Scotland".

The Lessons for Mental Health Care in Scotland report was commissioned by the Scottish Government. (...)

Scottish murder, suicide rate blamed on drink, drugs
afp.google.com 16.6.2008
LONDON (AFP) — Scots are almost twice as likely to kill or commit suicide as people in England and Wales, researchers said Monday, blaming the higher death rates on alcohol and drug abuse. (...)

Epidemi av selvmordsforsøk
aftenposten.no 15.6.2008
Grønland kan i år få en av de høyeste selvmordsratene i verden. Personene på bildet har ikke tilknytning til saken.

Grønland opplever en bølge av selvmordsforsøk blant unge menn. Hver femte 15-17-åring på øya har forsøkt å ta livet av seg. (...)

Viktig kritikk av hjelpeapparatet
HANS-JØRGEN WALLIN WEIHE, Førsteamanuensis i sosialt arbeid, Universitetet i Stavanger
aftenposten.no 15.5.2008
Under overskriften "Selvmord kan forhindres" beskriver Einar Plyhn i en kronikk sine erfaringer med kontakten med hjelpeapparatet. (...)

Flere selvmord hos deprimerte menn enn hos kvinner
Av Lisbeth Nilsen (Dagens Medisin)
vg.no 9.6.2008
Selv om depresjon og angst forekommer hyppigst hos kvinner, er deprimerte menn langt mer utsatt for selvmord, ifølge en norsk studie. Likevel skjer de fleste selvmord blant menn som ikke har en depresjon. (...)

Hos menn som er deprimert, er risikoen for selvmord dobbelt så stor som hos kvinner. Det fremgår av en norsk studie basert på data fra Helseundersøkelsen i Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT).

Undersøkelsen er publisert i juniutgaven av British Journal of Psychiatry (Bjerkeset m.fl.). (…)

Suicide websites and internet chatrooms could be closed down (Nettsteder og chat-rom på internett som omtaler selvmord kan bli stengt)
telegraph.co.uk 6.6.2008
Websites that encourage people to commit suicide could be shut down under changes to the law, it was disclosed today.

The sites offer users tips on taking their own life and have been linked to around 27 deaths in Britain over the last six years.

The Government is considering closing a legal loophole to outlaw the advice. (...)

America's Medicated Army (USAs medikaliserte hær)
time.com 5.6.2008
(...) Data contained in the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report indicate that, according to an anonymous survey of U.S. troops taken last fall, about 12% of combat troops in Iraq and 17% of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills to help them cope. Escalating violence in Afghanistan and the more isolated mission have driven troops to rely more on medication there than in Iraq, military officials say. (...)

The increase in the use of medication among U.S. troops suggests the heavy mental and psychological price being paid by soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pentagon surveys show that while all soldiers deployed to a war zone will feel stressed, 70% will manage to bounce back to normalcy. But about 20% will suffer from what the military calls "temporary stress injuries," and 10% will be afflicted with "stress illnesses." Such ailments, according to briefings commanders get before deploying, begin with mild anxiety and irritability, difficulty sleeping, and growing feelings of apathy and pessimism. (...)

Nearly 40% of Army suicide victims in 2006 and 2007 took psychotropic drugs — overwhelmingly, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft. (...)

"The high percentage of U.S. soldiers attempting suicide after taking SSRIs should raise serious concerns," says Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, who teaches psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "And there's no question they're using them to prop people up in difficult circumstances." (...)

Reversal of SSRI-Associated Apathy Syndrome by Discontinuation of Therapy
Ann Pharmacother. 2012 Mar;46(3):e8. Epub 2012 Feb 21.
(...) OBJECTIVE : To report 6 cases of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-associated apathy syndrome. CASE SUMMARIES : In all 6 cases, the patient reported loss of motivation while being treated with an SSRI. Loss of motivation was of new onset and temporally associated with the use of the SSRI. A trial of discontinuation of the SSRI was performed in all 6 patients and 2 were started on bupropion while cross-tapering from the SSRI. During the treatment trials, depression and apathy were monitored in all patients. Each case was assessed using the Apathy Evaluation Scale, Clinician version (AES-C), and by evaluating how the patient responded to discontinuation of the SSRI. DISCUSSION : Scores on the AES-C improved significantly in all 6 cases after the SSRI was discontinued. Improvement was also seen in the motivation, novelty, and persistence subdomain scores of the AES-C. A pretreatment AES-C score was available only in the first case. Based on the Naranjo probability scale, there was a probable cause of apathy syndrome with SSRI therapy in the first case and a possible association in the rest of the cases. CONCLUSIONS : In some patients SSRIs may cause an apathy syndrome that can be reversed through discontinuation of the agent. When evaluating patients being treated with an SSRI, clinicians should have a high degree of suspicion and specifically inquire for this iatrogenic form of apathy syndrome. (...)

2007 U.S. Army suicides are highest since 1980
azcentral.com 29.5.2008
WASHINGTON - The Army recorded 115 soldiers' suicides in 2007, the highest total since it started counting in 1980, the service announced Thursday. That's more than twice the 52 suicides in 2001, the low point reached as the war on terrorism started. (...)

The 115 deaths amount to an 18.5-per-100,000 rate, the highest rate since 1980, the Army said.

The civilian suicide rate was 19.5 per 100,000 in 2005, according to the latest statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (...)

Shocker: As Suicides Surge, Military Reveals 40,000 Cases of PTSD
huffingtonpost.com 27.5.2008
The Pentagon released new figures today revealing that 40,000 U.S. troops have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since the Iraq war began in 2003. Bad enough, but officials believe many more are keeping their illness secret. (...)

Four years ago David Carmichael killed his son. Now free, he is crusading against 'happy drugs,' saying they -- not him -- are to blame
torontosun.com 25.5.2008
He popped his antidepressants like candy and believes Paxil made him kill his son.

And now David Carmichael is worried drug companies will soon have the go-ahead to push their potentially dangerous "happy pills" on more unsuspecting Canadians, with similarly dire results.

With new Bill C-51, the Conservative initiative to overhaul Canada's food and drug act, critics like Carmichael worry it will open the door to big pharma circumventing the current ban on direct-to-consumer advertising. (...)

Work-related suicides rising in Japan
upi.com 24.5.2008
TOKYO, May 24 (UPI) -- The number of people who committed suicide or tried to kill themselves in Japan has doubled in the last five years, a government survey indicates.

The survey conducted by Japan's Health, Welfare and Labor Ministry found the 81 suicides and attempted suicides in 2007 was twice the number recorded in fiscal 2003, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Saturday. (...)

Gasser seg selv til døde og gjør andre syke
dagbladet.no 25.5.2008
54 personer ble forgiftet av gass fra selvmorderens oppkast. 50 japanske gass-selvmord i løpet av én måned. (...)

Hvert 15. minutt tar en japaner sitt eget liv, skriver britiske Guardian.
Myndighetene har øremerket rundt 2,2 milliarder kroner til et anti-selvmordsprogram som skal hjelpe mennesker med depresjoner og andre psykiske plager. (...)

Club fears drugs and deaths link
stuff.co.nz 23.5.2008
A rural women's group believes anti-depressants could be linked to recent suicides in South Taranaki

The Manutahi Women's Club says the drugs that may cause suicidal feelings are being too easily and willingly prescribed and usually with no patient followup or monitoring.

The club thinks general practice doctors and staff should take more responsibility for monitoring obviously depressed and potentially suicidal patients, instead of just prescribing drugs. (...)

- Fikk selvmordstanker av røykepille
vg.no 22.5.2008
Produsent: - Skyldes nikotinkuttet, ikke pillen

(VG Nett) Selvmordstanker, angst og unormale drømmer er blant bivirkningene som Statens Legemiddelverk har fått innrapportert etter bruk av røykesluttpillen Champix. (...)

Cannabis use linked to high suicide rates
news.com.au 20.5.2008
A NEW report has linked the use of cannabis to high levels of suicide and depression in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.
The report, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, shows cannabis use among some Aboriginal communities was at least double that of the general population. (...)

Cannabis hämmar immunförsvaret
svt.se 29.11.2010
Cannabis kan ge ökad risk för cancer och infektioner.

Marijuanarökning kan utlösa en dämpning av kroppens immunförsvar. Nu har forskarna funnit varför brukare av cannabis är mer mottagliga för vissa typer av cancer och infektioner.

Cannabis är en av de mest använda missbruksdrogerna i världen. Man har länge misstänkt att en av effekterna är en försvagning av immunförsvaret. Nu tror forskarna att orsaken till dämpningen är en nyligen upptäckt typ av immunceller, kallade MDSC. (...)

(Anm: Marihuana (marijuana) (mintankesmie.no).)

(Anm: cannabis, eller cannabispreparater, fellesnavn for de narkotiske stoffene som utvinnes av en underart av hamp (...) Det er toppskuddene og hunnblomsterstanden som gir de forskjellige produktene: marihuana, hasjisj, hasjolje og andre cannabispreparater. Kilde: Store norske leksikon.)

Cannabis hemmer immunforsvaret
aftenposten.no 1.4.2011
Den kjemiske forbindelsen tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, i cannabis påvirker immunforsvaret. Det er også denne forbindelsen som gjør en «høy» når man røyker hasj eller marihuana. Forsøk med mus viser at THC forårsaker en massemobilisering av celler som demper immunforsvaret, har forskere ved universitetet i south Carolina funnet ut. Cellene kalles MDsCs (myeloidderived suppressor cells), og deres effekt på immunforsvaret gjør kroppen åpen for infeksjoner av alle slag, samt visse former for kreft. (...)

Medical know-how raises suicide risk for doctors (Medisinsk kunnskap øker legers risiko for selvmord)
washingtonpost.com 8.5.2008
CHICAGO -- There's a grim, rarely talked-about twist to all that medical know-how doctors learn to save lives: It makes them especially good at ending their own. An estimated 300 to 400 U.S. doctors kill themselves each year - a suicide rate thought to be higher than in the general population, although exact figures are hard to come by.

Some doctors believe the stigma of mental illness is magnified in a profession that prides itself on stoicism and bravado. Many fear admitting psychiatric problems could be fatal to their careers, so they suffer in silence.

And when the pain is too much, doctors have easy access to prescription drugs and a precise knowledge of both how the body works and the amount of a drug needed for an overdose to stop breathing and halt the heart.

"All physicians have access to neat, clean ways to commit suicide," said Dr. Robert Lehmberg, a Little Rock, Ark., surgeon who has battled depression and long considered suicide "an exit strategy if absolutely necessary." (...)

The mystery of medications linked to suicide (Mysteriet med legemidler linket til selvmord)
msnbc.msn.com 7.5.2008
As number of drug warnings rise, investigators search for reasons why

Physicians or patients have filed anecdotal reports with drug companies or the Food and Drug Administration on at least six drugs or drug classes that may have been linked to episodes of suicidal thoughts or actions. In just the past few months, the FDA has released several advisory notices to both doctors and the public about drugs linked to suicidal thoughts or actions, including Singulair, epilepsy drugs and the smoking-cessation drug Chantix. Reports have also been filed on antidepressants, the influenza drug Tamiflu and the acne medicine Accutane. (...)

"The brain is a complex organ, and most of the drugs are complex as well,’’ says Dr. Thomas Laughren, head of the division of psychiatric products at the FDA. "It’s not unreasonable to think that a drug that gets into the brain may have effects other than you hope they would have … but in some cases, it’s just a background event. That's why it's so important to follow up with an analysis of the clinical trials.’’ (...)

Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, U.S. Says (Update1)
bloomberg.com 5.5.2008
May 5 (Bloomberg) -- The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government's top psychiatric researcher said. (...)

Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment. About 1.6 million U.S. troops have fought in the two wars since October 2001, the report said. About 4,560 soldiers had died in the conflicts as of today, the Defense Department reported on its Web site. (...)

Spring's dark side: An upswing in suicides
usatoday.com 4.5.2008
The sun is shining. Flowers are blooming. It's May, and many of us feel great.
But the thoughts of some vulnerable people grow dark at this seemingly bright time of year. In fact, if there is a season for suicide, springtime is it.

"It's a new beginning, but some people don't feel that new beginning," says Jerry Reed, executive director of the Suicide Prevention Action Network. (...)

Japan sees wave of suicides using detergent
usatoday.com 25.4.2008
TOKYO (AP) — At least four people killed themselves Friday by inhaling fumes from a detergent mixed with other chemicals amid a wave of similar suicides that has reportedly claimed about 50 lives this month in Japan.
Authorities are alarmed by the sudden rise in such incidents — an average of two a day were reported in April — because the chemicals are easy to get and the fumes could spread to affect bystanders or rescuers. (...)

Antidepressants and suicide symptoms: compelling new insights from the FDA’s analysis of individual patient level data
Evidence-Based Mental Health 2008;11:34-35
In May 2007 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered that all antidepressant drugs carry an expanded black-box warning incorporating information about an increased risk of suicidal symptoms in young adults aged 18–24 years. (...)

Paradoxically, these data have been interpreted as reinforcing and consolidating two opposing positions. On one side, it has been argued that antidepressant drugs do not kill people, the real killer is untreated depression with its high lifetime risk of suicide.² On the opposite side of the divide it is argued that the well documented risks associated with antidepressant drugs largely prevail over uncertain benefits.³ (...)

De dødes personvern
Av Carl-Erik Grimstad
morgenbladet.no 25.4.2008
Medienes dekning av selvmord kan føre til et tolkningsanarki.

Få liker scientologene. Bevegelsens opprinnelse er tvilsom, og settes gjerne i forbindelse med organisert kriminalitet. (...) Man blir følgelig neppe upopulær i norsk offentlighet ved å kritisere scientologene. Selv insinuasjoner om at «kirkens» personlighetstest kan ha sammenheng med en ung kvinnes selvmord, synes å kunne fremsettes innenfor rammene av allment aksepterte påstander.

I den gode hensikt å avsløre hykleriet innen et kirkesamfunn, har flere av Norges største medier brutt bransjens selvpålagte tilbakeholdenhet mot å omtale selvmord. Men hva hvis situasjonen var motsatt, hva om den døde ikke var en ung jente, men en kontroversiell person med meninger vi setter mindre pris på? (...)

Selvmord for salg
na24.no 22.4.2008
Tabloidavisenes dekning av studenttragedien i Nice gjorde utelukkende de etterlatte en bjørnetjeneste. (...)

Nok et tenåringsdødsfall i Wales
vg.no 21.4.2008
Fortsatt uklart om dødsfallene har sammenheng

(VG Nett) Selvmordsbølgen i Bridgend i Wales vokser i omfang. I helgen ble den nittende tenåringen funnet død.

I løpet av et drøyt år har til sammen nitten personer under 27 år begått selvmord i den lille landsbyen Bridgend. Flere mener at tenåringene har blitt påvirket av hverandre, men politiet avviser at dødsfallene har noe med hverandre å gjøre. (...)

Dagbladet og selvmord
LEDER
dagbladet.no 19.4.2008
Dagbladet har brukt plass på dødsfallet til Kaja Bordevich Ballo (18). Ikke uventet er dekningen kritisert. Noen fagfolk og aviskommentatorer mener at selvmord ikke skal omtales. Andre mener saken har fått for store dimensjoner og at dekningen har svertet den unge kvinnens ettermæle. Det er også hevdet at selvmord bare kan omtales når offentlige personer er involvert. Dette er direkte feil, noe praksis i Pressens Faglige Utvalg viser. (...)

Vær varsom!
MARIT RÅBU - psykolog, KARSTEN HYTTEN - psykiater
aftenposten.no 18.4.2008
MEDIEKRITIKK. De siste dagene har vi sett gjentatte, store og tabloide oppslag om en ung norsk student som begikk selvmord i Nice. Oppslagene tyder på at kunnskap om hvordan selvmord kan omtales varsomt, mangler i mange redaksjoner. (...)

Kopierer selvmordssikring
nrk.no 17.4.2008
Svenskene vil stoppe selvmord på Tromsøbru-måten. (...)

Bakgrunnen var at det i 2005 ble montert ekstra høyt rekkverk på brua i Tromsø for å hindre at folk hopper utfor.

Sikringstiltaket har vært så vellykket at svenskene nå vil gjøre det samme i Sundsvall.

- Vägverket har studert internasjonal faglitteratur på selvmord og funnet ut at Tromsøbrua utpeker seg, sier distriktsvegsjef Nils Arne Johnsen til avisa Vegen og vi. (...)

Antidepressants Account For Only 10% Of Fall In Suicide Rates Among Older People
sciencedaily.com 14.4.2008
(...) Overall, treatment type made little difference, although rates among men taking SSRIs were slightly higher than among those taking tricyclics.

Suicide rates were five to six times higher among those taking antidepressants than those who were not. (...)

Hver anden socialt udsatte forsøger selvmord
politiken.dk 14.4.2008
Livet på bunden er hårdt. De socialt udsatte døjer med massive problemer, viser undersøgelse.

Næsten halvdelen af de mest socialt udsatte har forsøgt selvmord.

Det viser den første store undersøgelse af gruppens sundhed.

Rapporten, der offentliggøres mandag, viser massive problemer med sygdom, vold og sygdom. (...)

»Alarmerende resultater«
Ifølge formanden for Rådet for Socialt Udsatte, dr.med. Preben Brandt, er det første gang, det på videnskabeligt grundlag er muligt at sammenligne de udsattes sundhedstilstand med den brede befolknings, som blev kortlagt ved en stor national sundheds- og sygelighedsundersøgelse i 2005.

»Og resultaterne af den nye undersøgelse er alarmerende«, siger Preben Brandt.

Det fremgår således af undersøgelsen, der er udarbejdet af Rådet for Socialt Udsatte i samarbejde med Institut for Folkesundhed, at ikke færre end 43,2 procent af de socialt udsatte, der har været med i undersøgelsen, havde forsøgt at begå selvmord.

Tilsvarende blev procentdelen målt til 1,2 for den øvrige befolkning i 2005-undersøgelsen. (...)

FDA looks at link between medications, depression (FDA ser på link mellom legemidler, depresjon)
latimes.com 14.4.2008
Federal regulators warn that an array of drugs could play a role in spurring thoughts of suicide or other psychiatric symptoms.

As symptoms of depression go, there is none much clearer than having thoughts of suicide.

But a spate of recent announcements from federal health officials suggests a surprising new interpretation of suicidal fantasies and the depression they are thought to signal: Sometimes, sadness, anxiety and self-destructive thoughts are not symptoms but side effects -- of medicine.

In this year alone, federal regulators have warned that a surprising array of drugs could play a role in spurring thoughts of self-destruction. Medicines that treat epilepsy, asthma and influenza are now under suspicion, as is one that helps smokers kick the tobacco habit. (...)

Suicide up after anti-depressant warning
upi.com 9.4.2008
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 8 (UPI) -- Two years after Health Canada warned about prescribing anti-depressants to children, suicide by children and teens increased, a Manitoba study found. (...)

However, lead author Laurence Katz, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Winnipeg, warns the increased risk of suicide could be a "random fluctuation."

Katz said that study cannot conclude that the warning, the change in antidepressant use, or drop in physician office visits resulted in changes in suicide rates.

The widely publicized drug warnings have led to more cases of untreated depression and an impact "beyond what was intended," Katz said. (...)

FDA Probing Possible Link Between Asthma Drug and Suicide Risk
healthfinder.gov 27.3.2008
Singulair, top-selling drug for teens, under review by U.S. agency and manufacturer Merck. (...)

Test may help identify suicide risk
ukpress.google.com 26.3.2008
A single sample of hair could help scientists identify if young people using drugs are more prone to suicide and self-harm.

Pioneering technology developed by the University of Ulster and the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain will enable researchers to carry out a complete chemical breakdown of a person's strand of hair to reveal what drugs they have taken in the past six months.

Researchers think this could lead to an important breakthrough to help to identify people at risk from suicide and self-harm by examining if prescribed anti-depressants and illegal drug use are linked. (...)

Impaired Executive Function Linked to Suicidal Behavior in Elderly
Psychiatr News 2008;43(6):28 (March 21) (© 2008 American Psychiatric Association)
Executive-function impairment is associated with suicide attempts and thoughts in elderly patients with depression and is predictive of behavior disturbance in those with dementia.

More than other dimensions of cognition, executive function appears to be a key indicator of long-term outcomes in elderly patients. Impaired executive function has been linked to greater suicide risk in patients with depression, as well as worsening behavior disturbance in dementia patients, according to two studies in the February American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. (...)

Coroner calls for suicide strategy
icwales.icnetwork.co.uk 20.3.2008
(...) They are among 17 young people to have taken their lives in the Bridgend area since January last year. (...)

Mr Walters has expressed concern at the number of young people to have taken their lives in the Bridgend area, but said he does not believe there are any links between all the deaths. Police have publicly ruled out suicide pacts among the victims as being a trigger for the deaths. Suggestions that internet sites played a part have also been dismissed.

Mr Walters said yesterday he had to look at each of the deaths individually. “The only thing that I am happy to be placed on record as saying is that I hope these events in Bridgend, if they have done anything, will be a catalyst to give us a national strategy covering the whole of Wales for young deaths.” (...)

Stress driving pupils to suicide says union
guardian.co.uk 18.3.2008
Self-harm, anorexia, aggression and bullying are the results of increasing childhood stress, according to a survey published today by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the 804 teachers and lecturers believe children are under more pressure now than 10 years ago, with testing and exams, and family break-up causing the most distress. (...)

Medgift tvinger indiske kvinder til selvmord
politiken.dk 16.3.2008
Mindst seks kvinder begår selvmord hver dag i Indien på grund af pres fra ægtemand og familie i forbindelse med medgift. (...)

Sykehus granskes etter selvmords-tragedie
vg.no 12.3.2008
Psykiater slo alarm

(VG Nett) Om kvelden krasjet 32-åringen i høy fart. Morgenen etter ble han skrevet ut av sykehuset, selv om journalen angivelig viste at han var suicidal. Timer senere begikk han selvmord. (...)

Alpha Company hit hard by post-traumatic stress
philly.com 9.3.2008
Of all the things that Alpha Company has had to struggle with since it came home from Iraq, the most pervasive may be post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Of the 126 veterans interviewed or surveyed by The Inquirer, almost half - 46 percent - said they had been treated for PTSD, most at VA hospitals and clinics in the region. (...)

PTSD typically is treated with psychotherapy and antidepressant drugs, including Zoloft and Paxil.

About two-thirds of Alpha veterans have received care at VA hospitals and clinics - for PTSD, physical ailments, or both. (...)

(Anm: paroksetin (paroxetine); markesføres i Norge under handelsnavn som bl.a. Seroxat; Paxil i USA.)

Selvmordsbølge blant indiske bønder
e24.no 8.3.2008
Mens India samlede økonomi vokser i turbofart, henger utviklingen på landsbygda etter. Det fører til bølger av selvmord blant landets bønder.

Fattigdommen ble for tung å bære for bonden Lunavath Bicha (35) i det sørlige India. Avlingene feilet år etter år, samtidig som det globale markedet presset ned prisene på bomull, chilipepper og ris. Med kreditorer pustende i nakken, så Bicha for seks måneder siden ingen annen løsning på fattigdommen enn å drikke insektmiddel for å ende sitt eget liv.

Tilbake sitter foreldrene, ektefellen og tre små sønner, som nå kjemper for å overleve den desperate fattigdommen på den indiske landbygda. (...)

Why So Many Female Suicide Bombers?
forbes.com 5.3.2008
An increasing number of suicide bombings in Iraq are conducted by women. U.S. and Iraqi policymakers have noted the phenomenon, which has also developed in Pakistan, but have offered differing explanations as to whether it signals the weakness of militant groups or is simply an effective, tactical terrorist innovation. (...)

- Anoreksi øker selvmordsrisiko
vg.no 4.3.2008
Selvmord er hoveddødsårsaken blant kvinner med anoreksi, viser ny amerikansk studie. (...)

- 20 unge tok sitt liv
Liss Beth Gjertsen, Lakselv
dagbladet.no 25.2.2008
Den ukjente selvmords-epidemien i Norge. (...)

Selvmordene på 80-tallet fant sted i de samiske samfunnene i Finnmark. Og hovedsakelig i samekommunen Karasjok. (...)

Den gangen skrev mediene ingenting om dette. På 80-tallet var det ikke vanlig at media omtalte selvmord. Likevel var epidemien der. Det handlet altså ikke om at media var med på å skape en slags smitteeffekt. Epidemien kom likevel.

Vi hadde ikke internett den gangen, så det handlet heller ikke om at det var en slags pakt inngått i et nettsamfunn.

Jeg tror slike epidemier vil komme uansett. Det skjer rett og slett en kollaps i samfunnet. En slags mental crack. (...)

Nær én av ti har vurdert selvmord
aftenposten.no 24.2.2008
Rusmisbruk like vanlig årsak som depresjon. (...)

Foreldre i South Wales rasende på pressen:
- Pressen glorifiserer selvmord
vg.no 20.2.2008
(VG Nett) Foreldrene til en av guttene som har blitt en del av den dystre selvmordsstatistikken i byen Bridgend, beskylder media for å ha lokket sønnen til å ta sitt eget liv. (...)

Reports of Gunman’s Use of Antidepressant Renew Debate Over Side Effects (Rapporter om revolvermanns bruk av antidepressiva gjenopptar debatten om bivirkninger)
nytimes.com 19.2.2008
Steven P. Kazmierczak stopped taking Prozac before he shot to death five Northern Illinois University students and himself, his girlfriend said Sunday in a remark likely to fuel the debate over the risks and benefits of drug treatment for emotional problems. (...)

Over the years, the antidepressant Prozac and its cousins, including Paxil and Zoloft, have been linked to suicide and violence in hundreds of patients. (...)

- Han var alt annet enn et monster
aftenposten.no 19.2.2008
Kjæresten til Steven Kazmierczak, som drepte fem studenter i Illinois, ante ikke at noe var galt.

Jessica Baty sier at hun føler med ofrene, men sier at kjæresten ikke må bli husket kun for massakren. - Han var så mye mer enn det. Han er også et offer, sier hun. (...)

Suicides, Overdoses Investigated by Army
ap.google.com 15.2.2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — There have been at least three accidental drug overdoses and four suicides among soldiers in special units the Army set up last summer to help war-wounded troops, officials said late Thursday.

A team of pharmacists and other military officials met early this week at the Pentagon to look into the deaths in so-called "warrior transition units" — established to give sick, injured and wounded troops coordinated medical care, financial advice, legal help and other services as they attempt to make the transition toward either a return to uniform or back into civilian life. (...)

Lawmakers Catch Glaxo Hiding Paxil Suicide Risks Again (Part II)
lawyersandsettlements.com 13.2.2008
Washington, DC: Apparently, GlaxoSmithKline is still trying to hide damaging information about Paxil, because 9 pages of a report released from under a court order last month, are not available to the public. However, Senator Charles Grassley has instructed Glaxo to provide him with the full report by February 14, 2008.

In the report, which is dated roughly 6 months ago on June 29, 2007, Harvard Professor, Dr Joseph Glenmullen reveals that Glaxo had clinical trial data since 1989 which showed that Paxil increases the risk of suicide by more than 8-fold compared to patients who received a placebo. (...)

Lawmakers Catch Glaxo Hiding Paxil Suicide Risks - Again (Part I)
lawyersandsettlements.com 12.2.2008
asking the company to explain the findings in a report unsealed last month in a lawsuit which shows that Glaxo knew as early as 1989 that Paxil increased the risk of suicidal behavior in patients by more than 8-fold compared to patients who received a placebo.

In a February 6, 2008 letter, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is asking Glaxo to explain why the American public was never adequately informed of this risk until May 2006 in a "Dear Healthcare Professional" letter which reported a "higher frequency of suicidal behavior" associated with Paxil as compared to placebo. (...)

Anti-smoking drug is linked to 37 suicides
dailymail.co.uk 10.2.2008
Fears are growing over the safety of an anti-smoking "wonder drug", taken by nearly a quarter of a million Britons, after officials in America linked it to 37 suicides.

The Food and Drug Administration said it looks "increasingly likely" that there is a connection between the drug Champix and serious psychiatric problems. (...)

‘Suicide rating’ could be given to every new drug licensed in UK
timesonline.co.uk 9.2.2008
(...) Dr Posner and her team spent months creating a comprehensive questionnaire known as the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating, in which patients’ actions can be classified as either suicidal or nonsuicidal.

The questionnaire takes less than five minutes to administer and looks for four different types of suicidal behaviours. Each behaviour is rated for its severity and the drug is given an overall “suicide rating” out of 23.

The system could also vindicate the reputation of the class of antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are no longer prescribed to people under 18 because of fears that they encourage suicidal thoughts in this age group.

“All the previous studies that these risks were based on were not set up to assess suicide risk,” Dr Posner said. “What we can learn from them is very limited. After the warnings [about SSRIs] were issued there was a 22 per cent decline in prescriptions in the US and in parts of Europe. There is a concerning correlation between reduced prescriptions and increased suicide.” (...)

Antidepressant prescribing and changes in antidepressant poisoning mortality and suicide in England, 1993–2004
Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on January 31, 2008
(...) Conclusion In England, at a population level, there does not appear to be an association between antidepressant prescribing and antidepressant poisoning mortality or suicide. (...)

Did GSK trial data mask Paxil suicide risk?
newscientist.com 6.2.2008
AN INAPPROPRIATE analysis of clinical trial data by researchers at GlaxoSmithKline obscured suicide risks associated with paroxetine, a profitable antidepressant, for 15 years, suggest court documents (897kb, requires Acrobat Reader) released last month. Not until 2006 did GSK alert people to raised suicide risks associated with the drug, marketed as Paxil and Seroxat.

“Not until 2006 did GlaxoSmithKline alert people to raised suicide risks associated with Paxil/Seroxat” (...)

Suicide Risk Factors Found Consistent Worldwide
medpagetoday.com 4.2.2008
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 4 -- The risk factors for suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts seem to be similar all over the world, according to World Health Organization data. (...)

(Anm: Cross-national prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation, plans and attempts. Br J Psychiatry 2008 192: 98-105.)

The silent epidemic of male suicide
bbc.co.uk 4.2.2008
(...) Of the 13 people who killed themselves in South Wales over the past year, all but one were men aged under 27. (...)

Med dette i minne er det verdt å nevnte to andre statistiske data: menn utgjør 73 % av mennesker som savnes hvert år, og 85 % av uteliggere. (...) (With this in mind, it is worth mentioning another two statistics: men make up 73% of people who go missing each year, and 85% of people who sleep rough.)

Key Risk Factors for Suicide Consistent Across Globe
healthfinder.gov 31.1.2008
Sex, age, education, mental health and marital status underpin findings of 17-nation study. (...)

The study, which used data collected by the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative, looked at people in 17 nations and found that an overall average of 9.2 percent reported having seriously thought about suicide and 2.7 percent attempted suicide. It also found that suicide risk factors are associated with having a mental disorder, being female, younger, less educated, and unmarried. (...)

The findings were published in the February issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. (...)

(Anm: Cross-national prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation, plans and attempts. Br J Psychiatry 2008 192: 98-105.)

Army suicides, attempts rise again
yahoo.com 31.1.2008
WASHINGTON - Multiple new efforts aimed at stemming suicides in the Army are falling short of their goal: The service anticipates another jump in the annual number of soldiers who killed themselves or tried to, including in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones. (...)

Antidepressant prescribing and changes in antidepressant poisoning mortality and suicide in England, 1993–2004
Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on January 31, 2008
(...) Conclusion In England, at a population level, there does not appear to be an association between antidepressant prescribing and antidepressant poisoning mortality or suicide. (...)

Suicidality and Antiepileptic Drugs
fda.gov 31.1.2008
(...) FDA ALERT [1/31/2008]: The FDA has analyzed reports of suicidality (suicidal behavior or ideation) from placebo-controlled clinical studies of eleven drugs used to treat epilepsy as well as psychiatric disorders, and other conditions. These drugs are commonly referred to as antiepileptic drugs (see the list below). In the FDA’s analysis, patients receiving antiepileptic drugs had approximately twice the risk of suicidal behavior or ideation (0.43%) compared to patients receiving placebo (0.22%). The increased risk of suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation was observed as early as one week after starting the antiepileptic drug and continued through 24 weeks. The results were generally consistent among the eleven drugs. (...)

FDA kräver självmordstest
lakemedelsvarlden.se 24.1.2008
Amerikanska läkemedelsverket, FDA, har börjat kräva att företag noggrant studerar patienters självmordsrisk i kliniska prövningar. Biverkningar från antidepressiva och bantningsläkemedlet Acomplia (rimonabant) har gjort att myndigheten satt fokus på självmordsrisken. (...)

Psychiatrist Told to Get Help; Says It's Because She Links SSRIs to Suicide
shortnews.com 28.1.2008
Australia: Dr. Yolande Lucire, a forensic psychiatrist with over three decades of experience in the field, has been reprimanded and ordered to get psychiatric help after a disagreement with the NSW Medical Board professional standards committee.

It stems from a medico-legal case in which her testimony led a judge to say doctors are responsible for violent crimes being committed by a "Ritalin Kids" generation. All Lucire could say was that it "did not relate to patient care."

Lucire suggests that some may question her ability to do her job because of her view that there is a connection between suicide and SSRI antidepressants. She cited a sudden stop in taking ADHD pills for a defendant in the assault and indecency case. (...)

Fler unga försöker ta sitt liv
svd.se 28.1.2008
Över 7 700 personer vårdades på sjukhus efter att ha försökt begå självmord eller på annat sätt avsiktligt skadat sig själva under 2006. Medan antalet skador av andra typer är stabilt eller minskar, fortsätter denna grupp att öka. Främst bland unga kvinnor, men även bland männen. (...)

Inom den allra vanligaste olycksorsaken dominerade däremot äldre. Det gällde fallolyckor, oftast halkning, snavning eller snubbling på platta marken. (...)

F.D.A. Requiring Suicide Studies in Drug Trials
nytimes.com 24.1.2008
After decades of inattention to the possible psychiatric side effects of experimental medicines, the Food and Drug Administration is now requiring drug makers to study closely whether patients become suicidal during clinical trials. (...)

Suicide Trends Among Youths and Young Adults Aged 10-24 Years—United States, 1990-2004
JAMA. 2008;299(3):283-284 (January 23)
MMWR. 2007;56:905-908
In 2004, suicide was the third leading cause of death among youths and young adults aged 10-24 years in the United States, accounting for 4,599 deaths. (...)

Forbidden Reality: Suicide Rate Soaring
arabnews.com 18.1.2008
MAKKAH, 18 January 2008 — Suicide is something that many religions and cultures look down upon. Islam clearly states that suicide is something forbidden. In spite of this, on account of a lack of correct Islamic upbringing, qualitatively speaking, attempted suicides are increasing in the Kingdom.
A number of Saudis told Arab News about people attempting to commit suicide. Some people try committing suicide to attract attention, others are simply mentally ill and a third group try committing suicide to bring a quick end to their social, psychological and financial problems. (...)

Selvmord hos pasienter behandlet i psykisk helsevern
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2008; 128: 180-3 (17.1.2008)
(...) Resultater. 34 (19,3 %) av 176 selvmord var ikke rapportert i henhold til lovverket. Nesten ingen av virksomhetene syntes å bruke hendelsene i sitt kvalitetsforbedrende arbeid i den tiden studien varte. Det var store fylkesvise ulikheter, både i forhold til antall meldinger og i forhold til den tilsynsmessige behandlingen av sakene.

Fortolkning. Virksomhetene bør bli bedre til å overholde meldeplikten til Helsetilsynet i fylkene og til å bruke slike hendelser i sitt selvmordsforebyggende arbeid. (...)

Pengespill og suicidal atferd
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2008; 128: 174-6 (17.1.2008)
Sammendrag
Bakgrunn. Spilleavhengighet kan ha alvorlige sosiale, familiemessige og økonomiske konsekvenser. Mulige sammenhenger mellom pengespill og suicidal atferd er lite studert. Det finnes ingen oppdatert litteraturgjennomgang på dette feltet, verken nasjonalt eller internasjonalt. (...)

What drives children to suicide?
telegraph.co.uk 14.1.2008
More than 4,000 under-14s tried to kill themselves in the UK last year. (…)

"Suicide is a complex problem," she says. "It can be impulsive, it may be related to depression, or even familiarity with suicide - the copycat effect. Some people think it is always about bullying but that is far too simplistic."

Parry says the NHS statistics, too, can be misleading. "Thousands of kids go through A&E after harming themselves, but not all are genuine suicide bids," she says. On the other hand, she thinks actual death rates are probably over-conservative.

To record a verdict of suicide, coroners have to be very sure of the facts, and are aware that families find the label distressing. For that reason, "coroners tend to be very sympathetic to families," says Parry. (…)

Ethnic Differences in Antidepressant Treatment Preceding Suicide in Sweden
Psychiatr Serv 59:116-a-117, January 2008 (American Psychiatric Association)
(...) We analyzed all suicides and deaths from undetermined intent among persons aged 18 to 84 in 2006 (N=1,255, or about 95% of all suicides). We examined use of prescription drugs in the 180 days before death. Persons born in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, representing the Scandinavian countries, were compared with persons born in all other countries.

We first looked at antidepressant prescriptions. Of the 776 Scandinavian men in the sample, 259 (32% filled a prescription for antidepressants in the 180 days before death. The corresponding figures were 176 of the 333 Scandinavian women in the sample (52%) (CI=46.7–57.5), 32 of the 102 foreign-born men (31%) (CI=21.6–39.5), and 21 of the 44 foreign-born women (43%) (CI=28.7–58.1). (...)

Smoking linked to suicide
iol.co.za 8.1.2008
Paris - "Smoking Kills" and "Smoking Causes Cancer" are the kind of health warnings that are familiar to millions of smokers.

How about this one: "Smoking Boosts the Risk of Suicide"?

The idea is sketched by German researchers, who say an in-depth study among young people in Bavaria found a clear and alarming link between smoking and the desire to kill oneself.

The investigation, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, is based on data from a detailed psychology study launched in 1995 among 3 021 people aged 14-24 who lived in Munich. (...)

Suicide Labels May Cut Antidepressant Use
cbsnews.com 7.1.2008
Study: "Black Box" Warnings Reached Their Target Group Of Children, Teens (...)

From May 1, 2002 to June 19, 2003 -- before any warnings were put in place -- antidepressant use by youths rose by 36 percent.

On June 19, 2003, the FDA recommended that the antidepressant Paxil not be used to treat depressed children and teens. From then until October 2004 youth Paxil use dropped by 44 percent and youth use of all antidepressants dipped by about 1 percent per year.

In October 2004, the FDA established its black box warning about suicide risk in youths taking any antidepressant. That warning also noted that children and adults taking antidepressants should be watched closely for increased suicidal thinking and behavior, note the researchers.

From October 2004 until the end of 2005, youth antidepressant use dropped by about 10 percent per year.

The trends throughout the study were stronger in kids and teens than in adults. (...)

Research tracks Inuit modernization with suicide
cnews.canoe.ca 6.1.2008
New research comparing suicide trends in different Arctic regions offers fresh insight into the roots of a social dysfunction that snuffs out the lives of dozens of young Inuit every year - and suggests there is hope for a turnaround.

In a newly published article in the journal Aboriginal Issues, researcher Jack Hicks correlated suicide rates among Inuit people in Alaska, Nunavut and Greenland with the period when governments encouraged them to move off the land and into communities.

In all three countries, suicide rates began to rise among the first generation born in towns - the sons and daughters of those who had grown up on the land.
The trend began in north Alaska in the 1960s, in Greenland in the 1970s and in Nunavut in the 1980s. (...)

Report: Suicides do not increase during holidays
thestamfordtimes.com 20.12.2007
Instances of suicide do not increase during the holiday season, despite reports to the contrary, experts say.

Isolated incidents like last weekend's alleged suicide at the Green's Farm train station are not the norm, according to several published reports.

In the late 1800s, Enrico Morselli studied suicide in Europe and found that 17 out of 18 countries showed an increase in suicide rates during the spring and summer months. A 1995 study by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, author of Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide, substantiated this information.

Data from 1994 and 1996 research from the National Center for Health Statistics showed that November and December actually rank the lowest in the number of monthly suicides, while spring and fall months rank the highest. (...)

Suicide: holidays' darkest myth
latimes.com 17.12.2007
Contrary to past reports, depression and suicide rates actually fall during the holidays. (...)

Child suicide bids rise to more than 4,000
guardian.co.uk 16.12.2007
Children's Secretary calls for greater vigilance to spot those at risk (...)

There is a growing debate about whether mental health disorders are rising in the young, but there are signs that health professionals are seeing more young patients. The number of prescriptions handed out to children under 16 for depression and mental health disorders has quadrupled in a decade. (...)

Dokumentar om selvmord:
Selvmordsbroen
nrk.no 13.12.2007
NRK2 viser lørdag kveld dokumentarfilmen "The Bridge" fra 2007 om selvmordene som begås fra Golden Gate Bridge i San Francisco. Denne gutten ble reddet. (...)

Fakta om selvmordene fra Golden Gate Bridge (...)

Poisonings, suicides fuel rise in U.S. injury deaths
uk.reuters.co 13.12.2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The death rate from injury in the United States is rising this decade after declining since the late 1970s, spurred by increases in accidental poisonings and suicides, health officials said on Thursday.

The injury death rate nationally increased 5.5 percent from 1999 to 2004 after a two-decade period of decline, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The rate counts deaths from such causes as unintentional injury, suicide, homicide, traffic deaths and even capital punishment. There were 167,184 such deaths in 2004.

Unintentional poisoning deaths -- there were 20,950 of them in 2004 -- accounted for more than half of the total increase in injury deaths during the period studied, the CDC said.

There was a 62.5-percent jump in the death rate from unintentional poisonings from 1999 to 2004, the CDC said.

CDC epidemiologist Dr. Len Paulozzi said a major part of this category includes drug overdoses involving prescription drugs as well as illicit drugs such as cocaine or heroin. (...)

CDC: Suicides Among Middle-Aged Spikes
forskning.no 13.12.2007
ATLANTA - The suicide rate among middle-aged Americans has reached its highest point in at least 25 years, a new government report said Thursday.
The rate rose by about 20 percent between 1999 and 2004 for U.S. residents ages 45 through 54 - far outpacing increases among younger adults, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

In 2004, there were 16.6 completed suicides per 100,000 people in that age group. That's the highest it's been since the CDC started tracking such rates, around 1980. The previous high was 16.5, in 1982.

Experts said they don't know why the suicide rates are rising so dramatically in that age group, but believe it is an unrecognized tragedy (...)

Politiet slo alarm
aftenposten.no 7.12.2007
Den 31 år gamle moren som onsdag tok livet av sine fem sønner i alderen tre til ni år, forsøkte også å ta sitt eget liv. (...)

Der så de at kvinnen hadde kuttskader på begge armer, og hun ble tatt med til en kirurgisk avdeling hvor skadene ble behandlet. Deretter ble hun tatt med tilbake til det psykiatriske sykehuset hvor hun tidligere hadde fått behandling for sine psykiske forstyrrelser. (...)

PROPER VETTING
nypost.com 2.12.2007
December 2, 2007 -- I must point out misinterpretations and factual errors in Michael Fumento's “CBS's Bogus Vet-Suicide Stats" (PostOpinion, Nov. 19). (...)

Fumento's central assertion - that there is no credible evidence of an increased suicide rate among veterans - is based on selective data from a limited number of studies, some of which actually show an increase in military suicides.
Our reports concluded that suicide rates are alarmingly higher for vets than for nonvets.

After the reports aired, Congressional hearings were requested and, significantly, the VA itself stated that it is accelerating its own research into the issue. (...)

Phone calls 'cut jail suicides'
bbc.co.uk 14.11.2007
The first few nights in jail are the worst for new inmates
Prison reformers have called for more support for new inmates in order to prevent suicides.

The Prison Reform Trust says providing free phone calls to family or friends would reduce stress amongst prisoners during their first few nights in jail. (...)

- Norske menn begår æresdrap
vg.no 14.11.2007
Etnisk norske menn dreper sine koner for å gjenopprette æren de har tapt. (...)

FAKTA
• Ut fra Kripos årlige drapsstatistikk har VG undersøkt hvor mange kvinner som er drept av sine mannlige partnere siden 2000.
• I løpet av syv år er 72 kvinner drept av nåværende og tidligere kjærester, samboere eller ektemenn.
• Det tilsvarer i gjennomsnitt nesten et drap i måneden i hele perioden.
• Statistikken viser også at 2 av 3 gjerningsmenn er norske, og at kvinnene var i ferd med å bryte ut av forholdet i over halvparten av sakene.
• 63 mindreårige barn har mistet mammaen sin i disse sakene. (...)

Det mener professor i psykiatri Gustav Wik ved Universitetet i Bergen.

- Norske æresdrap er vanlig, hevder den anerkjente voldsforskeren. (...)

90 suicides a day spur Japan into action
timesonline.co.uk 12.11.2007
The Japanese Government is calling for a complete national rethink about attitudes to suicide in an effort to unravel centuries of social pressure and tradition. (...)

Suicide rate of women doctors in US is twice that of other working women
BMJ 2007;335:961 (10 November)
The proportion of female doctors who kill themselves is twice that of other working women, finds a study of self inflicted deaths in 26 US states over nine years.

No overall difference was shown between male doctors and men in other jobs in the proportion who committed suicide—although among men over the age of 45 years the proportion was higher in doctors, the study found (Occupational Medicine doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqm117). (...)

Parent Group Says Public Unaware that Antidepressant Induced Suicides are in the Tens of Thousands
prlog.org 7.11.2007
The national parent's rights organization, Ablechild, says that despite the FDA issuing a black box warning on antidepressants causing suicides, the mental health industry continues to downplay the risks of the drugs widely prescribed to millions.

(PRLog.Org) – Nov 05, 2007 – The national parent's rights organization, Ablechild, says that despite the U.S. FDA issuing a black box warning on antidepressants causing suicides, the mental health industry continues to downplay the real risks of the drugs widely prescribed to millions. In fact, based on information posted on the FDA's public drug reporting system, Medwatch, an estimated 63,000 suicides have been committed by people under the influence of antidepressants, documented to cause worsening depression and suicidal ideation. With 1.5 million children currently on antidepressants in the United States alone, Ablechild is deeply concerned about the number of children being prescribed the powerful and potentially lethal drugs. (...)

Study Of Depression And Suicide In Veterans
medicalnewstoday.com 6.11.2007
(...) Veterans with substance abuse issues, and those who had been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons in the year before their depression diagnosis, also had a higher suicide risk. Surprisingly, older veterans who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to depression had a lower overall rate of suicide than those without a PTSD diagnosis, perhaps because they were more likely to receive care through Veterans Affairs PTSD programs. (...)

The researchers analyzed comprehensive data from 807,694 veterans of all ages diagnosed with depression and treated at any Veterans Affairs facility nationwide between 1999 and 2004. The data are from the VA's National Registry for Depression, developed and maintained by the Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and Evaluation Center at the VA Ann Arbor's Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence. (...)

Reference: American Journal of Public Health, Dec. 2007, Vol. 97, No. 12 (...)

Death Rates and Causes of Death After Bariatric Surgery for Pennsylvania Residents, 1995 to 2004
Arch Surg. 2007;142:923-928
Conclusions There was a substantial excess of deaths owing to suicide and coronary heart disease. Careful monitoring of bariatric surgical procedures and more intense follow-up could likely reduce the long-term case fatality rate in this patient population. (...)

After a suicide attempt, the journey of a lifetime begins
chron.com 5.11.2007
(...) Most of the 2004 increase was because of more girls committing suicide. (White males account for about three-fourths of suicides in people 19 and younger, even after the increase, but females attempt suicide more often; young Hispanic women have the highest rate of suicide attempts.) (...)

Suicide risk of young gays investigated
suntimes.com 5.11.2007
Gays and lesbians, especially youths, appear to be at higher risk for attempting suicide. Suicide experts from around the country will gather in Chicago this week to discuss this disturbing phenomenon in homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders and what can be done about it. (...)

Suicide risk of young gays investigated
suntimes.com 5.11.2007
(...) The suicide foundation is a co-sponsor of the two-day meeting, beginning Thursday.

A New Zealand study found gay and lesbian youths are six times more likely than other youths to try suicide.

The government doesn't collect statistics on the sexual orientation of those who commit suicide. But a 1989 federal report estimated as many as 30 percent of youth suicides involve gays and lesbians. (...)

Små børn forsøger selvmord
berlingske.dk 2.11.2007
Hvert år forsøger et lille antal små børn at begå selvmord. Selvskadende adfærd breder sig fra teenagerne til de yngre børn, vurderer forsker.

Landets skadestuer registrerer år efter år stadig flere børn, der har forsøgt at begå selvmord. Selv blandt de yngste børn under fire år er der enkelte, der forsøger at tage deres eget liv.

Udviklingen undrer ikke Lillian Zøllner, der er leder af Center for Selvmordsforskning. (...)

Døden som læremester
Torleiv Ole Rognum
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 2785 (1.11.2007)
«Mortui vivos docent» (de døde underviser de levende) står det på veggen i mange obduksjonssaler - men med fallende obduksjonsrate lærer vi mindre og mindre. I Norge obduseres 11 % av de døde. For å ha en valid dødsårsaksstatistikk må man opp mot 30 %. Vår statistikk er derfor ubrukelig som helseindikator. (...)

Battling Suicide: New Research for Depressed Veterans
ivanhoe.com 31.10.2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Young, white men have the highest suicide risk among depressed veterans, according to a new study. This is different from the general population, where the highest suicide rates are seen in men older than 75. (...)

U.S. Reports 2,002 Deaths in Arrests in 2003-5
nytimes.com 13.10.2007
(...) In all, the number of arrest-related deaths increased 13 percent over the course of the three years studied, to 703 in 2005 from 622 in 2003. The number of deaths caused by homicide and accidental injuries remained relatively steady, while intoxication deaths increased by 11 percent, to 90 from 81, and suicides by 63 percent, to 91 from 56. (...)

Depressed children 'committed suicide after taking Prozac'
dailymail.co.uk 12.10.2007
Prescribing anti-depressants to children is dangerous, a psychiatrist claimed yesterday.

Sami Timimi said SSRI-style drugs such as Prozac did not work and may have led to a 'small but tragic number of avoidable suicides'.

An estimated 40,000 children a year take SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. (...)

Kameror hindrar inte självmord
svd.se 10.10.2007
Kameror och telefoner skulle stoppa självmordshoppen från Alnöbron utanför Sundsvall. (...)

Suicide Data Prompt Call for Black-Box Review
Psychiatr News 2007;42(19):1 (October 5)
While authors of a new study acknowledge that there is no proven connection between an increase in youth suicides and a decrease in antidepressant prescriptions, they believe the coincidence of the phenomena is compelling. (...)

Though there is no proof of a causal association between rising suicide rates and declining antidepressant use, the study authors believe the coincidence of the two phenomena is compelling.

"Our study represents an analysis of a frightening natural experiment," Robert Gibbons, Ph.D., director of the Center for Health Statistics at the University of Illinois, told Psychiatric News. "The results are not encouraging. More data are needed, and we are working with CDC to analyze data on suicide for 2005 to verify this phenomenon. (...)

Experts say suicides stem from several issues
theleafchronicle.com 5.10.2007
Medical experts agree motivation that prompts suicide is a labyrinth of emotional issues.

“Suicide is a crisis of problem solving. It is multi-dimensional and doesn’t occur just because of one thing,” said Becky Stoll, director of Crisis Services for Centerstone.

Stoll who urged people who were present at Thursday’s city council meeting when local businessman “Bo” Ward shot himself to “take time to grieve.” (...)

Avis diktet opp selvmordsforsøk
na24.no 5.10.2007
- Venner og mamma tok kontakt med meg i morges og var urolige for at jeg hadde forsøkt å ta livet mitt. Og det stemmer jo ikke. Jeg er ingen selvmordskandidat, sier Calle Schulman, ifølge avisen.

Schulman tok raskt kontakt med avisens ledelse som la seg flat. (...)

Young Swedish women kill themselves more often
thelocal.se 4.10.2007
The suicide rate among young women in Sweden is at its highest level since the late 1970s. Researchers say the figures are a sign that young people's mental health is not taken seriously enough.

Preliminary statistics released on Thursday by the National Board of Health and Welfare show that the number of suicides among women aged 15-24 rose in both 2005 and 2006, Sveriges Radio reports. The figures had been relatively stable for most of the previous decade. (...)

Dual Approach Aids Depression Treatment
wsj.com 2.10.2007
(...) Therapy appears to be important in reducing suicidal thoughts. Such thoughts decreased over time on average for all study participants. However, while nearly 15% of those only taking Prozac -- Eli Lilly & Co.'s brand-name fluoxetine drug -- expressed serious suicidal thoughts or attempts, that number dropped to 8.4% when combined with therapy, much closer to the 6.3% of teens in therapy who weren't medicated. (...)

A major concern about the latest findings is whether the patients improved because of the treatment or just felt better naturally over time. The study didn't have an untreated control group to compare for the final six months.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Eli Lilly provided the medication and placebo but wasn't involved in any other aspect of the study, according to Dr. March, who has served as a consultant for several pharmaceutical companies but does no promotional work. (...)

Policy on the prevention of suicidal behaviour; one treatment for all may be an unrealistic expectation
R Soc Med 2007;100:461-464
(...) Suicide is a behaviour, not a diagnosis, and has diverse underlying pathologies. Interventions have differential effects in specific risk groups, which may include paradoxical increases in risk. For these reasons, policy makers may need to abandon the goal of one treatment for all and focus on the distinct subgroups of patients at risk when selecting, evaluating and implementing preventive interventions. (...)

Genes Tied to Bad Reactions to Antidepressant Drug
nytimes.com 28.9.2007
Variations in two genes may increase the likelihood that a person will report suicidal thoughts after taking an antidepressant, researchers reported yesterday. The finding could help doctors develop tests to predict which patients will do well on such medications and which will react badly. (...)

Many of the patients who reported a sudden urge to end their lives did not have either of the gene variations found to put people at high risk. (...)

Genes Might Predispose Antidepressant Users to Suicidal Thoughts
dentalplans.com 27.9.2007
Someday, DNA tests might spot those most at risk, experts say (...)

Study: Antidepressant Use Down, Suicides Up For Youth
usmedicine.com 24.9.2007
WASHINGTON-According to a new study, the decrease in the use of antidepressants in children and teens that resulted from federal warnings four years ago about the increased risk of suicidal behavior linked to the drugs, coincided with a sharp increase in youth suicides. (...)

The researchers postulated in their report that, were the FDA's conclusion that SSRIs caused increased suicide true, there would have been a decrease in the suicide rate following decreased use, rather than the opposite.

FDA has announced no plans to revisit the increased warnings. (...)

High rail suicides in London suburb
malaysiasun.com 23.9.2007
There has been a dramatic rise in the number of Asian women committing suicide on a single stretch of a railway track in west London.

The rail line in Southall has a high proportion of the total rail suicides in England and Wales.

Figures showed that 80 of the 240 rail suicides nationally last year were on that particular stretch of line, a large percentage of them being Asian women. (...)

Suicide Scares Show There's Money in Dosing Children for Pharma
by Martha Rosenberg
opednews.com 17.9.2007
Long before the New York Times reported in September that youth suicides were up 8% from 2003 to 2004 and experts indict black box warnings on antidepressants which the FDA imposed in 2004, pharma has been trying to plant a favorable antidepressants/suicide story.

Last year an article in the June PLoS Medicine by lead author Dr. Julio Licinio, a paid consultant to Eli Lilly, maker of the popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant Prozac, found the US suicide rate "dropped steadily over 14 years as sales of the antidepressant [Prosac] rose." (...)

Dramatic Increase Found in Soldier Suicides
Psychiatr News 2007;42(18):9 (September 21) American Psychiatric Association
Better documentation reveals a sharp rise in suicide among U.S. Army soldiers and spurs efforts at prevention. (...)

Drept av toget - elever i krisepsykiatri
vg.no 20.9.2007
15-20 elever fra skolene i Time og Bryne ble tatt til krisepsykiatrisk behandling, etter at de ble øyenvitner til et selvmord på jernbanestasjonen i Bryne i går formiddag. (...)

Halvparten ville avslutte livet
aftenposten.no 14.9.2007
Blant tenåringer sliter mer enn dobbelt så mange homofile som heterofile med psykiske problemer. Sterke rusmidler er også langt mer utbredt. (...)

Rapporten "Vold mot lesbiske og homofile tenåringer" er basert på Ung i Oslo 2006, en undersøkelse blant 11 519 elever fra 9. og 10. klasse samt første trinn på videregående. (...)

Ikke overrasket
Funnene om psykiske problemer, overrasker ikke lederen i Norsk psykiatrisk forening, overlege og barne- og ungdomspsykiater Kirsten Djupesland, Sørlandet sykehus, Kristiansand.

- Vi vet at denne gruppen strever veldig. De er mye alene med tankene sine, og de vet i liten grad hvor de skal henvende seg for å få hjelp, sier hun. (...)

Finland no longer the suicide capital of the world
afp.google.com 14.9.2007
HELSINKI (AFP) — Finland has finally shed a bleak record as one of the world's suicide capitals after the number of people taking their own lives in this Nordic state has dropped by 40 percent in the past 15 years. (...)

Receptfria koffeintabletter används fortfarande vid självmord
sr.se 14.9.2007
Efter några uppmärksammade självmord receptbelades större förpackningar av koffeintabletter. Men nu visar en granskning att åtgärden inte fick någon större effekt på antalet självmord med koffeintabletter.

– Det är fortfarande så att vi varje år ser ett eller annat fall med koffeinförgiftningar med dödliga koffeinnivåer, säger Johan Ahlner, chef för den rättskemiska verksamheten vid Rättsmedicinalverket. (...)

Forebygging av selvmord
psykiskhelse.no 10.9.2007
Hvert år dør cirka 550 mennesker ved selvmord i Norge. Internasjonalt viser mange undersøkelser at omtrent halvparten av selvmordene skjer hos mennesker som ikke er registrert som pasienter i norsk helsevern. Vi vet lite om årsakene til disse selvmordene, noe som vanskeliggjør det selvmordsforebyggende arbeidet. (...)

«Broren min var ingen typisk selvmordskandidat»
aftenposten.no 10.9.2007
Kirkens SOS opplever stor pågang til sin krisetelefon for mennesker som tenker på selvmord. De siste to årene har antall henvendelser økt med 50 000. (...)

Dobbelt så mange selvmord i Finnmark
nrk.no 10.9.2007
- Foreldre må snakke med barna sine hvis de merker at de har det tøft. Dette kan hindre selvmord, sier psykolog Jens Jensenius. (...)

Suicide numbers under-counted: study
brisbanetimes.com.au 9.9.2007
Australia's suicide rate may be significantly higher than the statistics show, according to a new report which claims that flawed data is painting an incorrect picture of the nation's mental health status.

A study released Monday, on World Suicide Prevention Day, suggests there are problems with the official Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data that have led to serious under-counting of suicides nationally.

Researchers from the University of Sydney and colleagues in South Australia estimate that in Queensland in one year alone, the numbers fell short by 127 cases, due to errors in reporting. (...)

Suicide increase by teens is 'huge'
kentucky.com 7.9.2007
2003-04 SPIKE MIGHT STEM FROM FEWER USING ANTIDEPRESSANTS (...)

Following the flurry of warnings about the drugs, prescriptions for them dropped by 22 percent, according to a report in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Licinio, who was not involved in the CDC study, speculated that parents may have shied away from giving the drugs to their young daughters because of safety concerns, leading to the sharp jump in suicides among girls. (...)

FDA Timeline on Issuing Warnings
Psychiatr News 2007;42(17:28 (September 7, 2007)
The following is a partial timeline of antidepressant-related meetings of and alerts issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past four years. See "Impact of Label Warnings Felt Beyond Target Groups" for more information: (...)

Number of gun related suicides in Austria has fallen since tightening of gun controls
BMJ 2007;335:471 (8 September)
The number of homicides and suicides involving firearms has fallen dramatically in Austria since gun control laws were tightened in 1997, concludes a study in the British Journal of Psychiatry (2007;191:253-7). (...)

Teen Suicides Up Sharply for First Time in Years
healthfinder.gov 6.9.2007
Fewer antidepressant prescriptions a factor in trend, expert says.

(SOURCES: Sept. 6, 2007, teleconference with: Ileana Arias, Ph.D., director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; Thomas Laughren, M.D., director, Division of Psychiatry Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Benjamin N. Shain, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, psychiatry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., and liaison, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Sept. 7, 2007, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Youth suicide rates rose 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, the largest annual increase in 15 years and a reversal of a decade of declines, a new government report shows. (...)

Når psykiatrien svikter
Einar Plyhn - Forlagssjef
aftenposten.no 1.9.2007
SELVMORD. Hvert år dør mer enn dobbelt så mange i selvmord som i trafikken. Hva har psykiatrien å tilby selvmordsnære mennesker? Overraskende lite. (...)

Mental health services ‘not doing enough’ to prevent railway suicides
timesonline.co.uk 28.8.2007
LONDON The number of people who died on the railways rose last year, amid claims that the processes in place for preventing suicides are not working.

The British Transport Police and Network Rail, the railway operator, said that mental health services were not taking enough action to treat the increasing number of people known to be a suicide risk.

Nearly 300 deaths were recorded on the mainline network and London Underground in 2006-07, about a fifth more than in previous years. The vast majority were thought to be suicides, transport officers said. A separate log of incidents by Network Rail recorded 219 suicides in 2006 – the highest number for more than a decade. These caused nearly 5,000 hours of delays. Officers said that some people were being turned away by mental health services, despite evidence of previous attempts to kill themselves on the railways. (...)

‘Undetermined’ cases cloud data on suicide
starbulletin.com 27.8.2007
Suicides appear to be decreasing in Hawaii, but the number of deaths ruled "undetermined" has increased, says a state health official. (...)

We need to accept 'right to suicide'
independent.ie 26.8.2007
No matter how difficult, we have to accept there are indeed lives that are not worth living, writes Emer O'Kelly (...)

Epilepsy and risk of suicide: a population-based case-control study
Lancet Neurol. 2007 Aug;6(8):693-8
(...) INTERPRETATION: Individuals with epilepsy have a higher risk of suicide, even if coexisting psychiatric disease, demographic differences, and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. Our study identifies people with newly diagnosed epilepsy as a vulnerable group that require special attention. (...)

Critics say Army putting spin on Iraq suicides to avoid questions
wistv.com 25.8.2007
DENVER (AP) - Several groups are raising questions about an Army report saying there's no link between long troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and the army's highest suicide rate since the first Gulf War. (...)

Autopsy denials draw criticism
republicanherald.com 25.8.2007
To the Editor:
What is the job of a county coroner? Current literature states that one of the most crucial duties of a coroner is to make an order as to the cause of death when someone dies. This protects the public interest by ensuring that every person who dies is identified and that the cause of death is established. This also helps ensure that crimes do not go undetected. (...)

‘Depression in elderly population is under-diagnosed’
irishmedicalnews.ie (25.8.2007)
(...) He said suicide is universally under reported. The IAS conduced research in the mid-1990s in two counties in Ireland, where they looked at coroners files for the deaths in those two counties and made clinical judgements on which were suicides, against the official reported statistics.

“We found there could be an 11 to 30 per cent under reporting of suicide,” he maintained.

Not every death is newsworthy, according to Dr Connolly and suicide does get reported frequently. He said some six per cent of suicides are copycat. (...)

Dead trooper: ‘I can’t go on’
sundaygazettemail.com 25.8.2007
• State Police report describes Gonzales’ unhappiness before commiting suicide (...)

McCallister and Angel Gonzales, the trooper’s wife, told police that Gonzales had stopped taking Zoloft, which had been prescribed for him to fight depression, four days before he shot himself. (...)

Suicide remains shadowy subject
chinadaily.com 24.8.2007
According to official statistics, 280,000 people end their own lives every year in China, but experts believe the situation is far worse.
"The official figure is unrealistically low," said Michael Phillips, an associate professor of social medicine at Harvard Medical School and the head of research at Beijing Hui Long Guan Hospital, which specializes in psychological intervention and suicide prevention. (...)

Opposition demands release of report on inpatient suicides
ibnnews.org 21.8.2007
The New South Wales opposition has demanded the state government release a report into so-called sentinel events in inpatient mental health facilities. (...)

Prison will pay $150,000 to settle suicide lawsuit
citizensvoice.com 21.8.2007
WILKES-BARRE — The Luzerne County Correctional Facility Board voted Monday to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit about a 1995 suicide in the prison.

Luke Blumer, 19, hanged himself on Dec. 13, 1995, with bedsheets and shoelaces. The lawsuit alleged prison officials knew the Hazleton man was suicidal but still placed him in cell by himself without adequate supervision.

His wife, Nicole Blumer, and attorney, Joseph Rich, the administrator of his estate, sued the county.

The county is not accepting responsibility for the suicide by settling, Solicitor Jim Blaum said. The settlement was recommended by the county’s outside legal counsel, Blaum said. (...)

After Va. Tech: New Look at Campus Safety
msnbc.msn.com 20.8.2007
A tragedy showed the risk of underestimating mental-health problems. Now schools are intervening sooner. (...)

KrF: Nettside som middel mot selvmord
vg.no 17.8.2007
- Barn og unge har blitt oversett (...)

Ungdom får krisehjelp på e-post
vg.no 16.8.2007
Stadig flere ungdommer bruker e-post for å fortelle om selvmordstanker, depresjoner og vold. Mange synes det er lettere å skrive om problemer enn å bruke telefonen. (...)

Flere selvmord blant amerikanske soldater
vg.no 16.8.2007
Selvmordsraten blant soldater i USAs hær var i fjor den høyeste på 26 år, ifølge en ny rapport fra Pentagon. (...)

Begikk selvmord etter leketøystabbe
dn.no 13.8.2007
En kinesisk fabrikksjef tok sitt eget liv etter at Mattel tilbakekalte 967.000 leker. (...)

Ifølge nettstedet er det ikke uvanlig at kinesiske ledere tar livet sitt etter å ha blitt ydmyket i forretningssammenheng. (...)

Study was not a trial of antidepressants
Jon N Jureidini
BMJ 2007;335:221 (4 August)
Depression in adolescents
Goodyer et al tell us something about the role of cognitive behaviour therapy in adolescent depression but nothing about the use of drugs.¹ The response rate is not strikingly different from what would be expected from placebo, and, as with other studies of combinations of antidepressant and cognitive behaviour therapy,² we can draw no conclusions about the efficacy of antidepressants without a placebo arm. The authors justify its absence on the basis that a placebo arm would be unethical in such ill patients. That justification is questionable, given that at least 19 out of 20 studies of newer antidepressants in children and adolescents fail to show meaningful advantage of drug over placebo on their primary outcomes.³ Although Goodyer et al make few direct claims about the effectiveness of antidepressants, the implication that benefit is attributable to the drug will likely be used by others to support prescribing. (...)

Author's reply
Ian M Goodyer, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry
BMJ 2007;335:221 (4 August)
Depression in adolescents
Jureidini (previous letter) is correct in reminding readers that our trial is not a test of the efficacy of fluoxetine over psychological treatments. I do not agree with his assertion that it is acceptable to use a placebo arm in a pragmatic effectiveness trial of treatment for adolescent depression. (...)

Relationship between daily suicide counts and temperature in England and Wales
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2007)
(...) Results No spring or summer peak in suicide was found. Above 18 °C, each 1 °C increase in mean temperature was associated with a 3.8 and 5.0% rise in suicide and violent suicide respectively. Suicide increased by 46.9% during the 1995 heatwave, whereas no change was seen during the 2003 heat wave.

Conclusions There is increased risk of suicide during hot weather. (...)

Det umulige ordet
dagbladet.no 30.7.2007
Selvmord er et av vår tids siste tabu. Det må journalistene ta sin del av ansvaret for, skriver Unn Conradi Andersen. (...)

Treatment For Depressed Teens
psychcentral.com 23.7.2007
The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggests that SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) treatment with CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) will most probably not improve outcomes for adolescent patients with moderate to severe depression. (...)

(...) He added that monotherapy with an SSRI does not mean just writing a prescription. He noted that the participants in the study received a high level of clinical care, clinical reviews were frequent, and the monitoring of the benefit of treatment and adverse events was rigorous. (...)

(Anm: Rapid Responses to: (...) BMJ 2007; 335: 142 [Abstract] [Full text].)

'Rise' in suicides in poor areas
midlothianadvertiser.co.uk 14.7.2007
Suicide rates in young adults have increased dramatically in some of Scotland's most deprived areas, according to research. (...)

"Factors which are known to influence suicide, such as drug misuse, divorce and unemployment, are likely to be more common in such deprived areas," said Dr Daniel Exeter, the project researcher. (...)

Epileptics Have Three Times Greater Suicide Risk, Lancet Says
bloomberg.com 3.7.2007
July 3 (Bloomberg) -- Epileptics are three times more likely to commit suicide than people who don't have the disorder, and are especially susceptible in the six months after they're first diagnosed, a new study by Danish researchers shows.

Læger topper selvmordsstatistik
politiken.dk 3.7.2007
Der sker langt flere selvmord blandt læger og sygeplejersker end i andre faggrupper. (...)

Læger ligger højest i selvmordsstatistikken
Men læger og sygeplejersker skiller sig voldsomt ud fra det mønster. Særligt lægerne burde nyde godt af status og løn, men de er den faggruppe, der suverænt oftest begår selvmord. I forhold til den gruppe, der begår færrest selvmord - arkitekter og ingeniører - vælger læger seks gange så tit at tage deres eget liv. (...)

Psykiatriens makt
Av Bjørg Njaa, leder Menneskerettighetsutvalget, Landsforeningen for Pårørende innen Psykiatri
aftenposten.no 2.7.2007
DEFINISJONSMAKT. Takk til Einar Plyhn for modig kronikk og intervju i Aftenposten 23. juni om selvmord og sin situasjon som etterlatt. Og takk til lege Anne Godding for replikk 28. juni, hvor hun slår fast at det ikke er gjort nok, at ingen tar ansvar og at systemene beskytter hverandre. (...)

Cosmetic Breast Augmentation and Suicide
Am J Psychiatry 164:1006-1013 (July 2007)
(...) CONCLUSIONS: The higher-than-expected suicide rate among women with cosmetic breast implants warrants further research. In the absence of additional information on the relationship, women interested in breast augmentation who present with a history of psychopathology or those who are suspected by the plastic surgeon of having some form of psychopathology should undergo a mental health consultation before surgery. (...)

Mand begik selvmord i Gentofte Sø
politiken.dk 1.7.2007
En 59-årig mand svømmede ifølge et øjenvidne direkte ud mod midten af søen og kom ikke op igen. (...)

Suicide in Japan
Letter
Psychiatr Serv 58:1013, July 2007 - © 2007 American Psychiatric Association
To the Editor: Many previous studies have found mental disorders to be the most powerful risk factor for suicide in all age groups, accounting for 80% to 90% of all completed suicides (1,2,3). (...)

Japan Says Suicidal Cases Increase Among Takers of Glaxo Drug
bloomberg.com 28.6.2007
June 28 (Bloomberg) -- The number of patients who committed suicide or planned suicide after taking GlaxoSmithKline Plc's antidepressant Paxil rose to 39 last year, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said. (...)

"We have been telling doctors to be cautious with the amounts they prescribe,'' Yuko Fuke, a spokeswoman at Glaxo's Japan unit in Tokyo, said by telephone. "Package inserts warn doctors to be careful. We have been also reporting the risks of the drug to the ministry.'' (...)

Suicide rate for those taking anti-depressant agent Paxil rises sharply
mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp 28.6.2007
A growing number of depression patients have committed suicide as a suspected result of side-effects from the anti-depressant agent Paxil over the past few years, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said. (...)

Suicide deaths up despite strong push for local, state prevention
news-journalonline.com 25.6.2007
It's the kind of statistic no community wants to hear.

Volusia County posted its highest-ever death toll from suicide in 2006: 108 people took their own lives. The number of self-inflicted deaths in Flagler County doubled from 6 to 12 in one year.

This is discouraging news in a community that's worked hard to save lives. In recent years, local leaders held several suicide-prevention summits, and dozens of officials, including law enforcement and hospital personnel, were trained in warning signs and intervention techniques. A successful mental-health hotline based in Volusia County received 20,000 calls from across Florida last year, and a suicide-prevention resource center is planned for west Volusia County. (...)

Suicide rate low in Muslim world,
Kashmir an exception
greaterkashmir.com 23.6.2007
Srinagar, June 23: The World Health Organization (WHO) statistics for 2005 shows the rate of suicides in Muslim world is 0.1 to 0.2 per 100,000. The low rate of suicides is attributed to strong religious beliefs in these societies. But, in Kashmir, a Muslim state, the rate is 15-20 per 100,000 per year. (...)

Selvmord følges ikke godt opp
aftenposten.no 23.6.2007
Mange etterlatte etter selvmord føler at hjelpeapparatet svikter dem når de trenger hjelp. Det fikk Einar Plyhn merke. Han mistet hele familien. (...)

ARMY SEES SPIKE IN ACCIDENTS, SUICIDES
UPI.COM 21.6.2007
WASHINGTON, June 21 (UPI) -- The acting secretary of the U.S. Army says he is seeing a troubling spike in key morale indicators among soldiers -- suicide, divorces and accidents.

Acting Secretary Pete Geren told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday at his nomination hearing to become the civilian head of the Army that he discusses suicides and fatal accidents at a weekly meeting with senior military leaders. (...)

Child abuse linked to indigenous suicide rate
abc.net.au 18.6.2007
A Northern Territory researcher says child abuse can be linked to spiralling suicide rates in indigenous communities. (...)

How suicide is ripping Aboriginal lives apart
theage.com.au 18.6.2007
The 'Father of Reconciliation', Patrick Dodson. "This is a crisis in our society that really needs to be worked through and not through bully-boy tactics." (...)

FEATURE - Poverty drives migrant Indian workers in Bahrain to suicide reuters.com 17.6.2007
(...) "There have been many suicides," Rajgopalan Raghunathan, second secretary at the Indian Embassy, told a recent workshop to train Indian counsellors. "Some of these deaths could have been avoided if there was a way they could air their grievances."

Raghunathan said the number of suicides among deaths recorded by the embassy was "quite large", but gave no figure. (...)

EDITORIAL: Preventing suicides
asahi.com 14.6.2007
The economy is beginning to look up, but the number of suicides is showing no signs of decline. According to the National Police Agency, 32,155 people killed themselves in Japan last year, outnumbering traffic accident fatalities by five times. It was the ninth consecutive year that more than 30,000 people took their own lives. (...)

Suicide prevention an urgent need in third world
thejakartapost.com 13.6.2007
Felix Lengkong, Jakarta
(...) Recently the World Health Organization's (WHO) South East Asia regional office reported that the global suicide rate had risen from 10 suicides per 100,000 people in the 1950s to 18 suicides per 100,000 people in 1995. As many as 73 percent of suicides in the world occur in developing countries. (...)

USA: Høy risiko for selvmord blant veteraner
vg.no 12.6.2007
Sannsynligheten for at amerikanske krigsveteraner tar selvmord er dobbelt så høy som i resten av befolkningen, ifølge ny rapport. (...)

FDA links obesity drug to suicides
nj.com 12.7.2007
Sanofi-Aventis studies reveal psychiatric events

WASHINGTON -- Drug regulators said yesterday Sanofi-Aventis' obesity treatment Acomplia may trigger suicidal behavior and other psychological side effects in some patients. It was the latest setback for an experimental medicine that has had a troubled regulatory history. (...)

Japanese gov't targets 20% reduction in suicides
news.xinhuanet.com 11.6.2007
BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Police figures reveal more than 30,000 Japanese have committed suicide each year for the past nine years, prompting the government to plan a wide range of steps to deal with social issues such as an aging society, unemployment and overwork, all aimed at bringing the nation's suicide rate down by 2016. (...)

The guidelines call for the first time for separate policies for different age groups, with particular attention being paid to young people and the elderly, whose suicide rates are rising. Policies to deal with unemployment and financial problems, a large cause of death among middle-aged men, are also urged. (...)

FDA Protects SSRI Makers With Misleading Warning
By Evelyn Pringle
coop.co.nz 24.5.2007
Opinion: Evelyn Pringle FDA Protects SSRI Makers With Misleading Suicide Warning

On May 2, 2007, the FDA announced its most misleading warnings to date about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants when it said the drug makers would revise the current black box warning of an increased risk of suicidality in children and adolescents to include adults, but only young adults ages 18 to 24. Apparently at the ripe old age of 25 the increased risk no longer exists. (...)

Japan's birth rate rises for 1st rise in 6 years; suicides fall
iht.com 6.6.2007
TOKYO: Japan's birth rate rose last year for the first time in six years in 2006, while the number of suicides fell below the 30,000-case mark for the first time in four, the government said Wednesday. (...)

Genetic Testing for Suicidal Tendencies
technologyreview.com 5.6.2007
Scientists believe that genetic testing may identify those susceptible to serious side effects from antidepressants. (...)

In a study of 1,879 participants, published today in Archives of General Psychiatry, Roy Perlis and his team at Harvard found a significant link between a variation in the gene CREB1 and suicidal thinking in men, but not in women. This gene has been linked to mood regulation in animal models of disease, and people who have committed suicide show altered regulation of this gene in their brains. The scientists don't yet know the role that the gene might play in suicidal thinking. (...)

Genes Hold Clue to Antidepressant-Related Suicidal Thoughts
ivanhoe.com 5.6.2007
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If new research is correct, doctors may soon have a way to tell which men will have thoughts of suicide when they begin treatment with antidepressants.

Investigators studied more than 1,400 people taking part in a large clinical trial on depression treatments, looking for specific genetic mutations linked to antidepressant effects and suicide.

None of the people at the beginning of the study reported having suicidal thoughts or behaviors. After up to 12 weeks of treatment with an antidepressant, 123 reported such thoughts, including 54 men. When the investigators compared the genetic mutations with the occurrence of suicidal thoughts, they found men -- but not women -- who reported these thoughts were significantly more likely to have one of the mutations.

The authors believe this finding could help doctors determine which men are at highest risk for suicidal thoughts related to antidepressants. "If replicated, this finding would suggest that pharmacogenetic testing could facilitate the identification of the small subset of individuals at greater risk during short-term antidepressant treatment," conclude the researchers. (...)

SSRI-Suicide Link in Men May Have Genetic Basis
medpagetoday.com 4.6.2007
(...) "Regardless of specificity, the associations noted between symptoms and suicidal thinking have potential clinical implications in identifying a higher-risk subgroup among depressed patients; interventions that benefit most patients may still be associated with worsening in a small subset," the authors wrote in the June issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. (...)

Senate hearing urges personalized prescriptions
dailyutahchronicle.com 4.6.2007
The phrase "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning" may soon be a thing of the past, according to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach. (...)

Also contributing to the decline, said David Jones, senior director of early translational research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is the "blockbuster mentality" of pharmaceutical companies that if a medication is not a cure-all wonder drug, it's not worth the time and money.

By developing drugs to work well with individual DNA types rather than the public as a whole, the FDA hopes to fight the blockbuster mentality.

"We can create a system of health care that is predictive, preemptive and much more personalized," von Eschenbach said.

Sen. Bennett described the drug Vioxx as the "poster child" for the new initiative. (...)

The FDA Pediatric Advisories and Changes in Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Depression
Editorials
Am J Psychiatry 164:843-846 (June 2007) - © 2007 American Psychiatric Association
Pediatric depression is a national health problem that clinical, research, and public health activities aim to prevent and treat. Naturalistic longitudinal studies have shown correlations between prepubertal depression and high rates of suicidal ideation and behavior, and prepubertal depression has been found to be a predictor of both suicide attempts in adolescence and suicide in young adulthood (1–3). (...)

EXPLAINER: ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEWS.
Why Are There So Many Suicides in Japan? IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID. AND THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM. AND THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. AND THE …
slate.com 31.5.2007
(...) Antidepressant SSRIs didn't become widely available until 1993, and as of 2003 you could get Zoloft and Prozac only by ordering them through the mail. (Japan has been slow to introduce other drugs, too: The birth control pill, which was legalized in 1999, remains unpopular.) In 2006, the government began introducing reforms that would create suicide hot lines and make counselors available in schools and at work. (...)

Kids on Meds -- Trouble Ahead
sciam.com 30.5.2007 (Scientific American MIND)
Antidepressants, designed for adults, may be altering the brains of kids who take them

On February 7, 2004, the body of Traci Johnson, a 19-year-old college student, was found hanging by a scarf from a shower rod in a drug company laboratory. Johnson had no apparent signs of depression, and the reason she killed herself was a mystery. What made her death different from other such tragedies is that she was a subject in a trial of an experimental antidepressant. The company, Eli Lilly, noted that four other patients given the drug in earlier trials had also committed suicide. Not long afterward, prompted by Johnson's death and others, the Food and Drug Administration warned doctors that antidepressants might increase the risk of suicide in children and adolescents. (...)

Now, however, research suggests that suicide is only one of the potential risks. Studies have found that Prozac-like drugs might interfere with normal patterns of growth in children's still developing brains. Although the research is not conclusive, it is possible that kids on antidepressants are trading one psychiatric diagnosis for another. Children who take these drugs—in some instances starting in the preschool years—could find short-term relief and then grow up into edgy, anxious, dysfunctional adults. (...)

Drop in Prison Suicide Rates
thereporter.com 28.5.2007
Reducing fatal trend in cells a rare success for state

Inmates are moved through the administrative segregation unit at California State Prison, Sacramento, in Folsom. (Associated Press) FOLSOM - Every 30 minutes, day and night, guards walk the tiers of the isolation unit at California State Prison, Sacramento, checking inmates to make sure they don't kill themselves. (...)

Japan sets suicide reduction as an urgent task
iht.com 28.5.2007
TOKYO: The hanging death of Japan's farm minister this week grimly illustrated the country's stubbornly high suicide rate — and the government's struggle to discourage large numbers of Japanese from killing themselves. (...)

With that act, Matsuoka became one of the more than 30,000 Japanese who kill themselves every year — the second-highest suicide rate in the industrialized world. Japan's suicide rate per 100,000 people stood at 25.5 in 2003, compared with Russia's 38.7, according to World Health Organization figures. (...)

Japanese agriculture minister left seven suicide notes – police
en.rian.ru 28.5.2007
TOKYO, May 28 (RIA Novosti) - The Japanese Cabinet minister who died Monday after hanging himself apparently over a series of party funding scandals had written six farewell notes to political associates, including to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and another one with no designated addressee, Japan's National Police Agency said. (...)

Japan minister suicides
news.com.au 28.5.2007
JAPAN'S farm minister hanged himself just hours before he was to face questioning in parliament over a political scandal, officials said.

Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 62, was found in his apartment unconscious and rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead hours later, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police official said.

Matsuoka had faced heavy criticism over a scandal involving suspicious bookkeeping practices in his offices, and he had been scheduled to appear before a parliamentary committee this afternoon for further questioning. (...)

Suicide rate startles experts (Selvmordsrate forskrekker selvmordsforskere)
courierpress.com 28.5.2007
22 people die in Vanderburgh County this year

When 10-year-old De-Twain Barnett hanged himself earlier this month, news of his death stunned mental health officials around the state.

How could someone so young take his own life? What part of society failed this child? (...)

Prison intervention appears to slow suicide numbers
ocregister.com 27.5.2007
Guard checks prompted by judge's finding of disproportionate suicides in isolation cells. (...)

Last year, a record 43 inmates killed themselves in California prisons. California's rate of 25.5 deaths per 100,000 inmates is nearly double the nationwide prison suicide rate of 14 per 100,000, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. Nearly half those deaths were in California's isolation units. (...)

Here are the annual numbers of inmate suicides in California prisons over the past decade and the number of suicides in administrative segregation units.

2006:43, 18 - 2005:37, 13 - 2004:26, 18 - 2003:37, 18 - 2002:21, 5 - 2001: 27, 10 - 2000:14, 7 - 1999:24, 7 - 1998:21, 5 - 1997: 18, 6 - 1996:19, 3

Source: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (...)

Designs unveiled for Golden Gate Bridge anti-suicide barrier
examiner.com 25.5.2007
Designs unveiled for Golden Gate Bridge anti-suicide barrier (...)

Preventing suicides
EDITORIAL
japantimes.co.jp 23.5.2007
Every year in Japan some 30,000 people kill themselves. Last year, a basic law to counter suicide went into effect, declaring that suicide prevention is the responsibility of both the central and local governments. (...)

Suicides top list of Lake jail's problems
post-trib.com 20.5.2007
CROWN POINT -- Lake County Jail inmates have killed themselves at an alarming rate in recent years.

And a federal report on how the jail can better prevent prisoner suicides was apparently never shown to the man in charge of deciding if new arrivals pose a risk to themselves. (...)

Poverty blamed for rash of suicides
gulf-times.com 19.5.2007
JAKARTA: At least 30 people in Indonesia’s central Java province have committed suicide this year, many because of poverty and unemployment, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Since New Year’s Day, 13 suicides were reported in central Java’s Banyumas district and another 10 in three neighbouring districts, The Jakarta Post reported. (...)

Work-related suicides up 52 percent in Japan
iht.com 17.5.2007
TOKYO: The number of Japanese who killed themselves because of work jumped 52 percent last year, while work-induced mental illness also hit a record high, a health official said Thursday.

Compensation paid to the families of workers who committed suicide due to work-related stress was paid out in a record 65 cases in 2006, compared to 42 the previous year, according to Health Ministry official Junichiro Kurashige. (...)

Campaigners call for inquiry into drug-suicide link
huntspost.co.uk 16.5.2007
AN independent inquiry into the link between suicide and young people on anti-depressants has been called for - as the Government is yet again being challenged on the issue.

Campaigners in the UK want to know why it has taken three years to investigate one of the world's largest drug companies over allegations that they suppressed information about the suicide risk in young people.

Since 2003, GlaxoSmithKline has been under investigation by the body that regulates drugs in Britain, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, MHRA.

The same year, the anti-depressant, Seroxat, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, was banned for under-18s because of evidence that it could cause suicide and self-harming in that age group. GlaxoSmithKline is being investigated because of allegations that it had this evidence in 1997 and withheld it. (...)

Paul Scott: Antidepressants need more scrutiny
startribune.com 16.5.2007
Some studies are at odds with the Star Tribune's enthusiasm for this group of drugs.

Recently, a Star Tribune editorial referred to those concerned about antidepressant-related suicide as "naysayers" ("Antidepressants: Benefits outweigh risk," May 10). The writers of the piece might not have been so glib were they familiar with stories like that of Candace Downing, a luminous, non-depressed Maryland 12-year-old who had been given the drug Zoloft for test anxiety and who in January 2004 hanged herself from the valence over her bed. (...)

Pills link to fall in suicides
thestandard.com 16.5.2007
Increased antidepressant use was accompanied by falls in suicide rates in 26 countries, the first international study of the issue has found.

Using an indirect statistical modeling technique, the researchers estimated that each increase of 200,000 pills could avert one suicide. If generic antidepressants cost around 10 US cents (78 HK cents) a pill, then averting one suicide would cost around US$20,000.

That would be a bargain, wrote Jens Ludwig, Dave Marcotte and Karen Norberg who work, respectively, at Georgetown University, the University of Maryland and the Washington University School of Medicine.

The study is the latest salvo in a continuing controversy over the use of Prozac and similar drugs. The Food and Drug Administration required black- box warnings on the pills after clinical trials found an increase in suicidal behavior among young people taking them.

But a number of physicians say the antidepressants have kept many people from committing suicide.

The study, published as a working paper by the US National Bureau of Economic Research, found that countries that were quicker to adopt antidepressants showed a greater decline in suicide rates. THE WASHINGTON POST. (...)

Suicidal proteins
spectroscopynow.com 15.5.2007
One of the foremost causes of death is suicide, which accounted for around 32,400 deaths in the US alone in 2004. Here, the death rates have been fairly constant over the last 10 years, averaging 10-12 people per 100,000 of the population, making it the 11th highest cause of death overall. About four times as many males kill themselves than females but far more female attempts are reported. However, more worryingly, suicide is the third highest cause of death for 15-24 year-olds.

The major instruments of suicide in the US are firearms, hanging, poisons and drugs. It is difficult to imagine what is going through people's minds when they reach the state of contemplating suicide but they often feel a sense of utter hopelessness with no alternative solution to their problems. Drug and substance abuse, depression, financial crises, loss of a loved one and long-term illness all place people at higher risk but professional health workers recognise that there are many factors at play. (...)

Although several genes have been implicated, it is believed that other genes remain to be identified. Rather than looking directly for these, researchers in Germany have decided to investigate which gene products, that is proteins, are involved.

Brigitta Bondy and co-workers from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried argued that changes in the proteome, a dynamic, flexible system, are likely to be more detectable than changes in the relatively stable genome. So they applied proteomics techniques to analyse the proteins expressed in the post-mortem brain tissue of 17 suicide victims and nine control patients. (...)

'HAPPY PILLS' SLASH SUICIDES
nypost.com 15.5.2007
May 15, 2007 -- Increased antidepressant use was accompanied by declines in suicide rates in 26 countries, the first international study of the issue has found.

For every 200,000 pills used, about one suicide was averted, according to the working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

The study is the latest salvo in an ongoing medical debate over whether Prozac and similar drugs increase or reduce suicidal behavior. (...)

Depression is the real killer, not antidepressants, say commentators
BMJ 2007;334:974 (12 May)
(...) The primary analyses were restricted to participants in those trials that specifically concerned psychiatric disorders, write the authors. Among these were eight deaths from suicide: five among the 39 729 participants assigned to the drug under investigation, two among the 27 164 taking a placebo, and one among the 10 489 taking an active comparator.

In addition, 501 participants had suicidal feelings or thoughts or made unsuccessful attempts at suicide: 243 of those receiving the drug under investigation, 194 in the placebo group, and 64 in an active comparator group.

When the analysis combined all adult age groups, no increased risk of suicidal behaviour or ideation was found. However, in age stratified analyses, the risk in patients aged 18-24 years was higher, albeit not significantly (odds ratio 1.6 (95% confidence interval 0.9 to 2.7)).

The committee gave two reasons for recommending expansion of the black box warning to include the risk to the 18-24 years age group. Firstly, the threshold for threats to safety is generally lower than that for efficiency, and the data did not provide strong evidence for an absence of risk.

But secondly—and more importantly—the trend across the age groups towards an association between antidepressant use and suicidality was convincing, particularly when taken together with earlier analyses of data on adolescents from randomised controlled trials. Furthermore, the data set was larger than any previously assembled to study suicidality or interventions for a psychiatric disorder, and the results of independent analyses by two groups of FDA reviewers, which used different statistical methods, were virtually identical. (...)

Suicide risk said higher for veterans
nwsource.com 10.5.2007
WASHINGTON -- Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk of suicide because not all Veterans Affairs health clinics have 24-hour mental care available, an internal review says. (...)

Suicide tries frequent, inquest told; Sudbury jail site of six suicides during past decade
thesudburystar.com 8.5.2007
(...) Psychiatrist Dr. Ron Stewart, of Thunder Bay, an expert in suicide management, told the jury of three males and two females that assessing which inmates are potential suicide risks is extremely difficult.

Barkman took his life while in the segregation unit in D area about 11 p.m. Dec. 30, by fashioning a ligature from the piping of towels. Using that, and a pillowcase, he hung himself from the top bunk in his cell.

"There is nothing that we know that can reduce suicides. No interventions we know of that reduces suicides," said Stewart. (...)

More Than 10% of U.S. Adults Develop Drug Problems
healthfinder.gov 7.5.2007
Many of these abuses are associated with psychiatric disorders, study finds. (...)

Prescription drug abuse up sharply in the USA
The Lancet 2007; 369:1505-1506
Government officials are warning that the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs is becoming a major public-health problem. Although abuse of prescription drugs has been increasing in the USA for several years, the latest statistics show a recent sharp rise. Michael McCarthy reports.

Abuse of pharmaceutical drugs is increasing in the USA, according to the latest government statistics, which show that visits to US emergency departments related to non-medical use of pharmaceuticals, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter products, jumped 21% from 2004 to 2005. (...)

Anti-depressants could backfire for teens
khou.com 7.5.2007
By the time Kayla Beltran turned 18, family members say she was dealing with emotions not uncommon among those in her age group. (...)

But when the highs became higher and the lows lower, a doctor placed Kayla on Lexapro.

The number one prescribed anti depressant of it’s kind.

Six weeks later…six months after he 18th birthday Kayla hung herself.
Documenting her final act on earth, with her cell phone camera. (...)

Tort reform essentially limiting your ability to sue a drug maker because of inadequate warnings.

Although it was sold as a way of weeding out frivolous lawsuits.

“It’s not about kicking out lawsuits that don’t belong in the system. It’s about protecting the pocketbooks of corporations as is evidenced by this case. You can’t get more serious than death,” said attorney Denman Heard. (...)

EDs Seeing More Patients Who Abuse Medications
Psychiatr News 2007;42(9):4 (May 4)
© 2007 American Psychiatric Association
(...) Drug Abuse Warning Net works (DAWN) researchers gathered data from 355 emergency rooms across the United States by reviewing medical records related to recent drug use. To be included in the analysis, drugs needed only to be implicated in the visit; they did not have to be the cause of the visit.

All data were estimated using weighted calculations based on actual visits to emergency departments. (...)

When researchers looked at data for drug-related suicide attempts, they found that there were 132,582 emergency room visits for such attempts in 2005, and in nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of them multiple drugs had been used. (...)

More than half of the visits for drug-related suicide attempts involved psychotherapeutic agents, with the most common types being benzodiazepines and antidepressants. About 45 percent of the suicide attempts involved central nervous system agents such as prescription and over-the-counter analgesic medications. (...)

Expert: FDA move on antidepressants justified
wthr.com 3.5.2007
Washington - Eli Lilly and other antidepressant drug-makers are ordered to put new warnings on the nation's most widely prescribed drugs. The Food and Drug Administration wants labels rewritten to say the use of these drugs causes suicidal behavior in young adults. (...)

Food and Drug Administration antidepressant information (...)

FDA Seeks Antidepressant Warning
myfoxtwincities.com 2.5.2007
WASHINGTON -- Young adults face an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior when they first begin taking antidepressants and should be warned about the danger, federal health officials said Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration asked makers of the drugs to expand its warning labels to include adults age 18-24. The labels already include similar warnings for children and adolescents. (...)

Will suicidal Swiss stick to their guns?
washingtonpost.com 1.5.2007
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland is one of the world's richest and most tranquil countries, but it also has more suicides than most. This may show that money doesn't buy happiness, but some Swiss also blame the guns. (...)

"Compared to countries abroad, a large number of suicides involve firearms ... And that's of course because it is easier to get hold of guns here," said Boris Banga, a socialist member of parliament who wants stricter laws. (...)

EUROPE'S TOP 10
The Swiss suicide rate stands at 19.1 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants, a 2005 study by the country's Federal Health Office said, well above the World Health Organization's global average of 14.5 and of 14.1 in the European Union.
That figure may be inflated by assisted suicides -- about 10 percent of suicides are through the suicide-assistance groups for which the country has built up some fame. (...)

A quarter of suicides involved firearms in the 1969-2000 period, according to the Federal Health Office study. (...)

`More suicides at Guantanamo if lawyers visits are limited`
zeenews.com 29.4.2007
San Juan (Puerto Rico), April 29: Lawyers envision more suicides and despair at Guantanamo bay if the US Justice Department succeeds in its bid to severely restrict access by defence attorneys to the isolated military base.

The Justice Department this month asked the US Court of Appeals for the district of Columbia circuit to limit to three the number of lawyer visits allowed after an initial face-to-face meeting, to tighten censorship of mail from attorneys and give the military more control over what they can discuss with detainees. (...)

Role of antidepressants in killings needs review
modbee.com 29.4.2007
The murderous rampage that left 33 people dead at Virginia Tech has stirred countless emotions: sadness and anger, fear and hatred, grief and disgust. (...)

Japan proposes to cut suicide rate by 20 pct
alertnet.org 27.4.2007
TOKYO, April 27 (Reuters) - Japan's government on Friday pledged to cut the country's suicide rate -- one of the highest among industrialised nations -- by 20 percent in 10 years in a proposal that suggested more support for the poor and depressed. (...)

No other option? The rise in suicides in Yemen
yobserver.com 24.4.2007
(...) Suicides occur in Yemen for a number of reasons, but often the cause is never fully known, because many people hesitate to report such cases out of shame and fear of scandal. However, sources indicate that the incidence of suicide has been on the rise in the past ten years, and most people attribute this to intolerable living conditions brought on by the overwhelming poverty found throughout the country. (...)

Drugs, suicide and aging populations plague American Indians
sltrib.com 24.4.2007
The problems are hitting opposite ends of the population spectrum, said Charles Johnson, an assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said during a tribal consultation meeting in Salt Lake City.
As tribe members live longer, problems such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease are increasing. Younger Indians are encountering problems with methamphetamine, obesity and suicide. (...)

L.A. County child homicides, suicides up in '05
latimes.com 19.4.2007
Thirty-three children were killed and 15 died at their own hands. But the numbers are significantly lower than in the early 1990s. (...)

Murder-suicide perpetrators usually male, study finds
scrippsnews.com 18.4.2007
With everyone searching for answers to the Virginia Tech massacre, two irrefutable factors are being glossed over, according to a violence think tank.
In mass-murder suicides, the killer is almost always male and he almost always uses a gun.

"These tragedies are the inevitable result of the ease with which the firepower necessary to slaughter dozens of innocents can be obtained.

"We allow virtually anyone the means to turn almost any venue into a battlefield," says Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Washington-based Violence Policy Center. (...)

Innbilte krenkelser kan utløse drap
forskning.no 17.4.2007
Fattigdom
(...) Det er også en tendens til at de unge gjerningsmennene kommer fra familier preget av fattigdom eller andre typer problemer.

Bjørnebekk understreker at det ikke er hvem som helst som kan finne på å begå massedrap når de føler seg krenket.

Vanligvis dreier det seg om folk med en spesiell personlighetstype i en situasjon preget av hat og krise. (...)

Prevention tactics push suicide rate to record low
independent.co.uk 12.4.2007
Suicides in Britain have fallen to an all time low - but it has little to do with increasing happiness. Killing yourself is getting harder, and the result is a big saving in lives.

A total of 4,331 people committed suicide in 2005, bringing the three-year rolling average to 8.5 deaths per 100,000, the lowest level since the Second World War.

The death rate has fallen by 7.6 per cent since the mid 1990s, largely because it has become more difficult for people to end it all. But the progress report, published by the National Institute for Mental Health yesterday, says the rate is not falling fast enough to meet the government target of a 20 per cent reduction by 2010.

Research shows that removing access to a method is one of the most effective ways of reducing suicides because the act is often impulsive. The introduction of catalytic converters for cars in the 1980s, which were made mandatory for all new vehicles in 1992, has had a dramatic impact on the suicide rate by reducing the toxicity of exhaust gases.

Motor gas poisoning had been one of the commonest methods of suicide, causing 508 deaths in 1979. Figures for 2005 show there were 219 deaths by this method. (...)

Skytevåpen gir flere selvmord
forskning.no 11.4.2007
(...) Viktig dødsårsak
Selvmord er en av de 15 største dødsårsakene i USA. For mennesker under 45 år er det en av de tre største. Bare i 2004 tok 32 439 amerikanere i denne aldersgruppa sitt eget liv, og halvparten av disse brukte et skytevåpen.

De som har skytevåpen i hjemmet, bruker dem når de forsøker å begå selvmord.

Bare fem prosent av alle selvmordstilfellene brukte skytevåpen, men av disse klarte 90 prosent å få gjennomført selvmordet.

Til sammenligning er den vanligste formen for selvmordsforsøk å bruke medikamenter, noe som utgjør 75 prosent av alle tilfellene. Her et det en lavere andel som lykkes.

- Det er mindre sannsynlig at folk dør av selvmordsforsøkene når de ikke har våpen i hjemmet, sier Matthew Miller, som var hovedforfatter av rapporten. (...)

Gun rentals are easy at firing ranges
seattlepi.nwsource.com 11.4.2007
WORCESTER, Mass. -- The 35-year-old woman handled her 9 mm Glock with ease. For three straight days, she honed her aim and hit bull's-eye after bull's-eye from the firing line at the Boston Gun Range.

Then she put the gun to her head and killed herself. (...)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of Shooting Ranges do not keep statistics on shooting deaths at ranges.

More than half of the country's 32,000 suicides were committed with guns in 2004, the most recent year such statistics were compiled by the CDC. (...)

Butler County Jail officials try counseling to thwart more suicides
enquirer.com 11.4.2007
HAMILTON - Sometimes, when one person in a group commits suicide, others follow suit - and Butler County Jail officials are taking steps to try to stop that "copycat" effect. (...)

National suicide rate 'at all-time low'
24dash.com 11.4.2007
A progress report published by the National Institute for Mental Health in England today shows that good progress is being made towards meeting the Government target to reduce suicide by 20 per cent by 2010. (...)

STUDY: MORE GUNS, MORE SUICIDES
UPI.COM 10.4.2007
BOSTON, April 10 (UPI) -- Suicide rates among U.S. children, women and men of all ages are higher in states where more households have guns, the Harvard School of Public Health reported.

"Where there are more guns, there are more suicides," lead author Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Among people under 45 years old, suicide is one of the top three causes of death. In 2004, more than half of the 32,439 Americans who committed suicide used a firearm, according to study published in The Journal of Trauma. (...)

Study finds guns at home equal higher suicide risk
scotsman.com 10.4.2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Suicide rates among people of all ages are higher in states where more homes have guns, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
Twice as many people committed suicide in the 15 states with the highest levels of household gun ownership, compared with the six states with the lowest levels, even though the population in all the states was about the same, the researchers found. (...)

Mangalore: 'Lack of easy access to solution leads to suicide in India'
mangalorean.com 10.4.2007
"Lack of easy access to solution to problems causes suicides in India," head of the Department of Social Works and Social Administration of the University of Hong Kong, Prof Veronica Pearson has said. (...)

Economic dependence makes women vulnerable to suicide, say experts
cities.expressindia.com
Of 1,987 women who ended their lives last year, more than 80 per cent were unemployed (...)

- Pressen må snakke mer åpent om selvmord
vg.no 8.4.2007
Pressen bør slutte å bruke omskrivinger og i stedet snakke mer åpent om selvmord, mener forfatter og utviklingsredaktør i Avisa Nordland, Reidun Kjelling Nybø. (...)

- Omskrivinger som «en personlig tragedie» og «ikke mistanke om noe kriminelt» har utspilt sin rolle. Vi har ødelagt dem, for vi har brukt dem om selvmord, slik at hvis du bruker «ikke mistanke om noe kriminelt» om noe som ikke er et selvmord, så tror folk at det er et selvmord likevel, sier Kjelling Nybø. (...)

Failure in love and financial problems -- reasons for suicides
zeenews.com 8.4.2007
Failure in love and financial problems are the major causes of suicides in the national capital, a survey has claimed.

The study, which analysed suicide notes of 40 men and women in Delhi over a period of five years, found that more women killed themselves for disturbed love life, while men were driven to take the extreme step because of their financial troubles.

Most of those who committed suicide were married, as compared to a phenomena seen in the Western countries where divorced, separated or single people end their lives.

"The study is first of its kind in the country. Analysis of suicide notes help in confirming cause of death as suicide and also help in suicide prevention programmes," Dr M S Bhatia, Head of the Psychiatry Department at GTB Hospital, told a news agency. (...)

Suicide in fact and fiction
ukiahdailyjournal.com 8.4.2007
Most discussions of suicide and attempted suicide are either speculative, shrouded in the predictable embarrassment, denial, guilt or shame of survivors and loved ones, or muddied by medical and therapeutic lingo, engaging in various forms of second-guessing, guesswork, rumors.

The experts, sometimes known as "suicidologists," tell us that suicide is not the result of depression, as much as hopelessness and despair at the moment of truth. Aloneness, hatred, particularly of oneself, isolation, alienation and a sense of being abandoned or disconnected from life are also cited. (...)

Report finds physicians can play bigger role in suicide prevention
ktuu.com 7.4.2007
(...) The study looked at 30 Alaska Native suicide cases and matched them up to a control group. Researchers found in the last year of life those who committed suicide were 2.75 times as likely to have contact with medical staff, more than three times likely to be treated for an injury and more than 22 times as likely to be treated for an alcohol-related event. (...)

Homosexuality, suicide
kansascity.com 30.3.2007
Sherry Gilstrap (3/30, Letters) writes in response to a Star Magazine article, saying that “our nation is going to pay a high price … for embracing (the) philosophy” that homosexuality is “perfectly normal.”

I could not disagree more. I feel our nation is paying a high price for not embracing this philosophy more. (...)

Groups seek to solve puzzle of suicide
greenbaypressgazette.com 5.4.2007
Brown County numbers show upward trend (...)

Jay Fostner, St. Norbert College psychologist and former director of the student counseling center, said any number of factors may be responsible: stress, grades, job prospects and highly scheduled lifestyles.

“Anecdotally, it seems to be impulsiveness,” Fostner said. Students often struggle to see the distant future, he said. (...)

Incidence of Suicidality in Young Adults With Anxiety Disorders Treated With Paroxetine: Presented at ADAA
docguide.com 3.4.2007
ST.LOUIS, MO -- April 3, 2007 -- New data suggest that while the suicidality rate is similar in paroxetine- and placebo-treated adult with nondepressive disorders overall, a higher (though not statistically significant) incidence of suicidality occurred in young adults treated with this drug than with placebo. (...)

The study was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. (...)

Interrupted Time Series Analysis of Regulations to Reduce Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Poisoning
PLoS Med 2007;4(4): e105
(...) Conclusions
Introduction of regulations to limit availability of paracetamol coincided with a decrease in paracetamol-poisoning mortality. However, fatal poisoning involving aspirin, antidepressants, and to a lesser degree, paracetamol compounds, also showed similar trends. This raises the question whether the decline in paracetamol deaths was due to the regulations or was part of a wider trend in decreasing drug-poisoning mortality. We found little evidence to support the hypothesis that the 1998 regulations limiting pack size resulted in a greater reduction in poisoning deaths involving paracetamol than occurred for other drugs or nondrug poisoning suicide. (...)

Fewer Children Taking Antidepressants
forbes.com 2.4.2007
(...) The results are published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

In the study, Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff, of Emory University School of Medicine, and colleagues looked at prescriptions written for SSRIs. (...)

But another expert disagrees that use of all SSRIs has declined among children and teens.

"Information I have says that the use of Prozac has increased over time," said Dr. Randall S. Stafford, director of the Program on Prevention Outcomes and Practices at the Stanford University School of Medicine's Prevention Research Center.

Strafford stressed that treating depression in children and teens should include a combination of drugs and counseling. "Physicians were prescribing more drugs without following the advice that pediatric patients should also receive counseling and frequent follow-up," he said. (...)

Suicide Attempt Following Initiation of Topiramate
Letter to the Editor
Am J Psychiatry 2007;164:682-a-683 (April) (American Psychiatric Association)
MATTHEW D. FAUBION, M.D. and DONALD S. CHRISTMAN, M.D.
To the Editor: Topiramate is approved for monotherapy in partial seizures, generalized tonic clonic seizures, and migraine prophylaxis (1). Topiramate has been reported to increase suicidality in patients with psychiatric illness (2). To our knowledge, there are no published reports of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts in patients without preexisting psychiatric illness. We present a case report of a patient without preexisting mental illness who ingested ethylene glycol while receiving topiramate. (...)

A Community Crisis': Rash of suicides, attempts prompts Enfield officials to take action
journalinquirer.com 29.3.2007
ENFIELD - The number of suicides in town has jumped dramatically in the past four months, and a new group has been formed to address what a local legislator is calling "a community crisis." (...)

Suicides linked to psychiatric disorder
dailytimes.com 29.3.2007
KARACHI: Nearly one million people commit suicide annually worldwide, and 90 percent of them have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder resulting from a combination of painful suffering, desperate hopelessness and underlying psychiatric illness.

These observations were given by speakers of a seminar on “Suicide: Myths and Realities” organized by the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi. (...)

Some suicides may have been deadly game
upi.com 28.3.2007
NEW YORK, March 28 (UPI) -- Doctors are questioning whether some teenage suicides in the United States over the past decade were really the accidental outcome of the "choking game." (...)

Stor granskning av om självmord gått att hindra
sr.se 25.3.2007
På ett år, 1/4 2006-8/3 2007, har 23 fall av självmord anmälts till Socialstyrelsen från de fyra nordligaste länen.

Detta enligt de skärpta reglerna inom Lex Maria där man från sjukvårdens sida nu alltid måste anmäla självmord där patienten antingen är inskriven på psykiatrisk klinik, eller har varit i kontakt med psykvården inom fyra veckor innan fullbordat självmord.

Bakgrunden är flera omtalade fall där patienter tagit sitt liv trots att de varit inskrivna på psykklinik. (...)

Nationwide campaign for suicide prevention planned
yomiuri.co.jp 25.3.2007
A nonprofit organization is set to team up with the Cabinet Office and experts to conduct symposiums in the nation's 47 prefectures on preventing suicide and supporting bereaved families. (...)

According to the National Police Agency, there were 32,552 suicides in 2005. The number first exceeded 30,000 in 1998, an increase of about 8,400 from the previous year. Since then, the number has hovered at about 32,000 for eight consecutive years, nearly five times the amount of traffic accident-related deaths for the same period. (...)

Nearly 100 died in RCMP custody
cnews.canoe.ca 24.3.2007
More than 95 detainees have died in RCMP custody in the last 10 years, most commonly from suicides, medical conditions or overdoses of drugs or alcohol. (...)

ALCOHOL POISONING
Data reveals 15 suicides and 56 deaths related to medical conditions, drug overdose or alcohol poisoning in the 10-year period that excluded 1997-98. One death was from a gunshot, three were ruled "accidental" and four were from natural causes. Another 10 could not be explained and six fell in the "other" category. Six of the prisoners who died between 2000 and 2005 were women. (...)

Statistics show rise in suicides
belfasttoday.net 23.3.2007
SUICIDES rose by almost 40 per cent in Northern Ireland last year, new figures show.

Unemployment, association with other suicide victims and shortcomings in the mental health system are all thought to have contributed to the increase.

According to the provisional 2006 mortality statistics, published yesterday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), the overall number of deaths recorded in the Province rose by just two per cent. (...)

Yesterday, he said the new figures showed just how bad the suicide "epidemic" is in Northern Ireland.

"Unless we get to grips with it, it will rise again," he said. "More people are prepared to put deaths down as suicide rather than misadventure, families have been working tirelessly to break down the barriers and stigma associated with this." (...)

Anti depressant-suicide link probed
A coroner's investigation is probing possible links between commonly prescribed anti-depressant drugs and suicide. (...)

Selvmordsfare etter psykiatrisk behandling
forskning.no 13.3.2007
Ungdom som har vært henvist til akutt poliklinisk behandling i barne – og ungdomspsykiatrien, har to hundre ganger så stor selvmordsfare som den øvrige befolkningen. Uansett henvisningsgrunn. (...)

Experts warn about media coverage
expatica.com 13.3.2007
13 March 2007
AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands has been shocked by a family tragedy for the second time in the space of a week. A 32-year-old man in Haarlem-Noord killed his mother-in-law on Monday before jumping in front of a train holding his two sons, aged four and six. (...)

Study finds obese men less likely to commit suicide
dailymail.com 13.3.2007
A new study has found that obese men have a much lower risk of suicide, a finding that scientists believe might be related to their higher production of insulin and other hormones that affect mood. (...)

The study, published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reported that the men were 42 percent less likely to commit suicide than those at the lower end of the normal weight range. (...)

En av åtte Oslo-jenter sier de har forsøkt selvmord
vg.no 12.3.2007
Hver åttende Oslo-jente sier at hun har forsøkt å ta sitt eget liv. Halvparten så mange tenåringsgutter sier det samme. (...)

Forsker Fredrik Walby ved seksjon for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging ved Universitetet i Oslo, understreker at det er veldig få under 18 år som tar sitt eget liv. Det er også flere gutter enn jenter som begår selvmord, selv om flere jenter sier de har forsøkt.

- Når guttene først prøver, benytter de seg av farligere og raskere metoder, sier Walby.

Selvmordsforskeren mener mange som sier de har forsøkt å ta sitt eget liv, ikke ønsker å dø.

Han understreker at det likevel er grunn til å ta tallene alvorlig.

- Det er alarmerende at så mange melder om selvmordsforsøk, sier han. (...)

Suicide by cop can be hard to determine
recordnet.com 12.3.2007
DEFINITION OF SUICIDE-BY-COP
"A situation in which a suicidal person acts in a consciously life-threatening manner to the degree that it compels a police official to respond with deadly force."

The following criteria should be present:
• The subject must demonstrate the intent to die.
• The subject must possess a clear understanding of the finality of the act.
• The subject must confront a law enforcement official to the degree that it compels that official to act with deadly force.
• The subject must die; otherwise, it is an attempted suicide by cop.
-Source: www.suicidebycop.com (...)

Most student suicides 'occur during summer'
netdoctor.co.uk 9.3.2007
University students are most vulnerable to committing suicide towards the end or start of the academic year, according to a new research. (...)

MORE MEN ARE TAKING OWN LIVES
dailyrecord.co.uk 8.3.2007
THE number of men taking their own lives in Scotland has risen by almost a quarter in 15 years.

And the suicide rate is notably higher in deprived areas. (...)

Male suicide figures on increase
bbc.co.uk 7.3.2007
Over a 15-year period 74% of suicides were men

The number of men committing suicide in Scotland has risen by almost a quarter over 15 years, it has been revealed.

A Scottish Executive study found the number of men taking their own lives increased by 22% between 1989 and 2004. For women the rise was 6%. (...)

'Weak' warnings haven't cut prescribing, study finds
therecord.com 2.3.2007
Government "black box'' cautions about a drug's potentially dangerous side-effects need to be more specifically worded, suggests a study, which found that North American warnings for certain antidepressants about increased suicide risk had no impact on doctors' prescribing patterns. (...)

Suicide season
eurekareporter.com 26.2.2007
It was a popular myth — now popularly debunked — that suicide is more prevalent around the winter holidays. There are some slow to get the news, and to this day it isn’t impossible to find one so-called expert or another who says that a spike in suicides regularly occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. (...)

Genetic Link to Suicidal Tendencies Nailed Down
healthfinder.gov 23.1.2007
A third study replicates finding that chromosome 2 region plays a vital role (...)

5,200 suicides in a yr
indiatimes.com 23.2.2007
(...) Congress MLA from Dehgam Jagdish Thakore raised the question in the state Assembly as to how many cases of individual and 'family suicides' were registered in the state in the past one year.

Thakore alleged that moneylenders who unabashedly got gullible people in their clutches by charging a exorbitantly high rates of interest were mainly responsible for pushing people to suicide. (...)

Man blames shooting on pills
roanoke.com 20.2.2007
Rodney Startz said he stopped taking antidepressants a few weeks before shooting his former girlfriend. (...)

Study: 120 Teen Suicides Per Year In N.C.
wxii12.com 19.2.2007
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A new report shows that teenage suicide is on the rise, with the latest statistics revealing that more than 120 North Carolina teens commit suicide each year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report said the suicide rate among teens has jumped 20 percent. (...)

Kameraovervaking mot sjølvmord
nrk.no 17.2.2006
nrk.no/teksttv
I Sverige ønskjer Jernbaneverket å hindra sjølvmord langs togskinnene ved å setja opp kamera. I Skåne har slik kameraovervaking allereie hatt effekt. Talet på sjølvmord er halvert sidan 2003, skriv Dagens Nyheter. Jernbaneverket forhandlar no fram ein rammeavtale for å kunna setja opp kamera i heile landet. Dei siste ti åra har omlag 500 personar i Sverige teke livet sitt langs togskinnene. (...)

Marked drop in elderly suicide rate last year
channelnewsasia.com 15.2.2007
SINGAPORE: In the last five years, an average of 65 elderly people committed suicide each year in Singapore. (...)

Life And Death On The Rez
yankton.net 10.2.2007
(...) According to the American Association of Suicidology, there are currently more than 30,000 suicides annually in the U.S. That equates to approximately 83 per day; 1 suicide every 17 minutes, with 12 out of every 100,000 people killing themselves.

As the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24. (...)

Richard Milda, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention task force coordinator for the Santee Sioux Nation, said he attributes the high rate of suicides in young people to their lack of life skills.

"We don't have the living tools: the life skills that contribute to spiritual, emotional and physical well-being," he said.

Studies also show that areas with high rates of substance abuse incur more cases of deaths by violence and suicides.

"Substance abuse is a major contributing factor to suicides," Milda stated. (...)

We can't stop suicides says prison governor
belfasttelegraph.co.uk 10.2.2007
More prison inmates could hang themselves despite every precaution being taken, a senior governor admitted yesterday.
Isobel Miller, governor of Hydebank, Belfast, said it was impossible to safeguard the lives of vulnerable prisoners completely, despite a spate of suicides. (...)

Skole mot selvmord
aftenposten.no 10.2.2007
Stadig flere jenter prøver å ta sitt eget liv. Stortingsrepresentant Anna Ljunggren (Ap) mener forebygging av selvmord må inn i skolen. (...)

Skal øke innsatsen mot selvmord
helserevyen.no 8.2.2007
Hvert år begår 550 personer selvmord i Norge. Nå vil helse- og omsorgsminister Sylvia Brustad øke innsatsen til forebygging, og da særlig i kommunene. Det kom fram da Brustad svarte på en interpellasjon fra stortingsrepresentant Anna Ljunggren (A) tirsdag denne uken.

Ljunggren viste til at 529 personer tok sitt eget liv i Norge i 2004, og at 93 av disse var menn mellom 15 og 29 år. Selvmord er den hyppigste dødsårsaken blant unge menn i Norge i dag, men jentene kommer etter med en økning på nesten 30 prosent fra 1992 til 2002. (...)

Vet for lite om selvmordsforebygging
helserevyen.no 8.2.2007
Det finnes svært lite vitenskaplig dokumentasjon på hva som faktisk forebygger selvmord hos pasienter i psykisk helsevern.

Det viser rapporten Forebygging av selvmord, del 2, en systematisk kunnskapsoppsummering fra Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter for helsetjenesten. (...)

(Anm: Forebygging av selvmord, del 1. (Rapport fra Kunnskapssenteret Nr 24–2006).)

Youth Suicide Rate Rises to an Alarming 20%
waleg.com 7.2.2007
(...) The US government showed a 2003 to 2004 report regarding the abrupt increase of the suicide rate among the youth.

(...) That same year when this sudden increase in suicide rate came out was also the year that the Food and Drug Administration came up with the black box warning.

However, other experts say people should not jump to conclusion since there’s no concrete evidence to connect the black box warning to the suicide rate. (...)

(Anm: Antidepressant Use in Children, Adolescents, and Adults. http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antidepressants/default.htm - http://www.fda.gov/cder/present/DIA2005/Mosholder.pdf

Suicide Rate Increases Among Children, CDC Report Finds. kaisernetwork.org 7.2.2007.

Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: 2005. PEDIATRICS 2006;119(2):345-360 (February 2007).)

The data are concerning, but it's too soon to know if they're anything more than a statistical blip, said Dr. John March, a Duke University psychiatry professor. (...)

Teen Suicide Spike Linked to SSRI Black Box
medpagetoday.com 6.2.2007
-- Teen and childhood suicides rose sharply in 2004, for the first time in more than 10 years, and some are linking this to a reduced use of antidepressants that year because of black box label warnings mandated by the FDA. (...)

Rate of Youth Suicide Going Up In United States
dogflu.ca 6.2.2007
A study by the CDC has found that the rate of teen suicides across the United States is on the rise (...)

"This is very disturbing news," said Dr. David Fassler, a University of Vermont psychiatry professor. (...)

There are however, health experts who agree that by not administering antidepressants to children, they are not receiving the treatment that they need: "I have no doubt that there is such a relationship," said Dr. Charles Nemeroff, chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine. (...)

Kids' Suicides Rise, CDC Report Finds
cbsnews.com 6.2.2007
U.S. report shows rise in youth suicides after decade of decline; explanation unclear (...)

Kids' Suicides Rise, CDC Report Finds
nytimes.com 5.2.2007
(...) The CDC is expected to issue a more thorough report on the data in a month or two.

Kids' Suicides Rise, CDC Report Finds
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
foxnews.com 5.2.2007
CHICAGO — New government figures show a surprising increase in youth suicides after a decade of decline, and some mental health experts think a drop in use of antidepressant drugs may be to blame. (...)

Child Suicide Rate Spikes Nearly 20 Percent
abclocal.go.com 5.2.2007
ABC News Medical Unit
- Child and teen suicide rates rose for the first time in more than a decade in 2004 - and many psychological experts said the stronger warning labels that led to a drop in the number of prescriptions for antidepressant drugs may be to blame. (...)

Flere unge jenter velger døden
vg.no 5.2.2007
I perioden fra 1992 til 2002 har andelen unge jenter som har forsøkt å ta sitt eget liv, økt med nesten 30 prosent, viser en undersøkelse fra Norsk institutt for forskning om oppvekst, velferd og aldring (NOVA). (...)

Flere selvmordsforsøk
aftenposten.no 5.2.2007
I perioden fra 1992 til 2002 har andelen unge jenter som har forsøkt å ta sitt eget liv, økt med nesten 30 prosent, viser en undersøkelse fra Norsk institutt for forskning om oppvekst, velferd og aldring (NOVA). (...)

Suicide mortality data need revision
Diego De Leo
MJA 2007; 186 (3): 157-158 (5.2.2007)
TO THE EDITOR: In 2004, there were 580 cases of suicide in Queensland, and not 453, as reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 14 March 2006.¹ These data alone reverse the declining trend for suicide mortality nationally in the most recent years. (...)

Covering suicides requires sensitivity in times of turmoil
jconline.com 4.2.2007
Few people over the age of 40 have been untouched by suicide. Most of us have lost a family member, a coworker or a classmate to suicide.
Across the country, more than 30,000 suicides occur each year. That compares to roughly 16,000 homicides a year, and 40,000 to 45,000 highway deaths annually. (...)

Colleges reach out to prevent suicides
sfgate.com 4.2.2007
Not far into her freshman year, the once-outgoing and ambitious Dana Gatziolis started skipping classes, lost her appetite and slept whenever she could. Then followed a long struggle that included treatment, a suicide attempt and more treatment. Now she helps other students facing depression.

Gatziolis, who is doing well as a sophomore at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Ind., appears to be a success story at a time when college counselors across the country report seeing an increasing number of students with severe psychological problems. (...)

Every fortnight: a life lost, just begun
theage.com.au 4.2.2007
(...) To gain a greater understanding of the problem, The Sunday Age asked State Coroner Graeme Johnstone for access to files on teen suicide cases between January 2004 and May 2005.

He agreed to open the files on the condition the children remained anonymous. Their parents were informed of the newspaper's request.

Thirty-six cases were examined: all terrible, each with its own special circumstances. But themes emerged: bullying, stress, relationship breakdown and drugs were common. The statistics are a grim snapshot: (...)

Mr Johnstone said the number of recorded suicides might not necessarily reflect the number of young people who had deliberately taken their own lives, because of the burden of proof that is required by the courts.

The VicHealth chairman of adolescent health research at the Centre for Adolescent Health, Professor George Patton, said there appeared to be a correlation between bullying and mental health problems, particularly in young women and boys, although suicide was most common among males. (...)

Nytter oppfølging etter selvmordsforsøk?
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2007; 127: 283
Økt psykososial intervensjon etter selvmordsforsøk reduserer ikke risikoen for selvmord, viser en metaanalyse. Funnet bør ikke tillegges for mye vekt, mener norsk forsker. (...)

- Nesten alltid menn som dreper
nettavisen.no 1.2.2007
Psykologiprofessor forklarer hvordan de som dreper familien sin tenker. (...)

Glaxo Tried to Hide Paxil/Teen Suicide Link
forbes.com 30.1.2007
(...) Glaxo said it "rejects any suggestion that it has improperly withheld any drug trial information," BBC News reported.

The company emails were uncovered when Glaxo was forced to open its confidential internal archive after bereaved families in the United States joined together to sue the drug maker.

In one email, a public relations executive working for Glaxo wrote: "Originally, we had planned to do extensive media relations surrounding this study until we actually viewed the results.

"Essentially, the study did not really show it was effective in treating adolescent depression, which is not something we want to publicize." (...)

Bilde av selvmordsforsøk ble for sterkt
journalisten.no 30.1.2007
Både Bladet Tromsø og VG brøt ifølge Pressens Faglige Utvalg god presseskikk da de publiserte bildet av en ung kvinne som ville hoppe fra Tromsøbroen. (...)

Statistics on honor-killings and suicides among women shock Ankara
hurriyet.com 29.1.2007
As a result of question posed by CHP Aydin MP Ozlem Cercioglu to State Minister Nimet Cubukcu, statistics on so-called "honor killings" and suicides among women in Turkey over the past 5 years have been revealed, causing wide upset among officials in Ankara and citizens alike.

According to the statistics quoted by Minister Cubukcu, there have been 1,806 women killed in honor killings over the past 5 years, and another 5,375 suicides by women in the same period of time. (...)

Report: More Virginians kill themselves than are murdered
dailypress.com 25.1.2007
RICHMOND, Va. -- More Virginians kill themselves than are murdered, and white people are more prone to suicide while black people are more at risk for homicide, the state medical examiner's office said Thursday. (...)

German jailed for selling "suicide pills" online
reutershealth.com 24.1.2007
BERLIN (Reuters) - A 23-year-old man who sold a lethal cocktail of drugs as "suicide pills" on the Internet was sentenced by a court in Germany on Wednesday to three years and nine months in prison.

The man, an Albanian citizen, had sold pills which contained anti-epileptic and anti-psychotic medicines in exchange for cash and in some cases items such as laptop computers, German media reported.

Suicide and assisting suicide are not illegal in Germany. (...)

Toxicolo+gy Testing and Results for Suicide Victims—13 States, 2004
JAMA. 2007;297:355-356 (January 24/31)
MMWR. 2006;55:1245-1248
In 2003, an estimated 31,484 suicides (10.7 per 100,000 population) occurred in the United States.¹ Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among persons aged 10-64 years and the second and third leading causes of death among persons aged 25-34 and 10-24 years, respectively.² Few studies have attempted to determine the contribution of substance use to suicide.^3-4 To assess toxicology testing practices and to determine the prevalence of positive results for alcohol or other drugs, CDC analyzed test results of suicide victims in the 13 states that collected data for the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) in 2004. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which determined that (1) the percentage of suicide victims tested varied among states, ranging from 25.9% to 97.7%; (2) of those victims tested, 33.3% were positive for alcohol, and 16.4% were positive for opiates; and (3) similar percentages of poisoning suicide (i.e., suspected intentional overdose) and nonpoisoning suicide victims tested positive for alcohol or other drugs, with the exception of opiates. These results underscore the need to continue monitoring toxicology test results of suicide victims, which might identify patterns of substance use that can help guide development of effective suicide interventions. Such data can be enhanced by uniform, comprehensive, toxicology testing practices on a state and national basis. (...)

'Alcoholism also a cause of farmers' suicide'
hindustantimes.com 22.1.2007
In a shocking revelation, a group of journalism students on a study tour of Vidharba district, plagued by farmers' suicides, have come to a conclusion that besides indebtedness, another precipitating factor for their tendency to commit suicide is alcoholism, which has affected even minors in a big way. (...)

Lobbyist pushes suicide prevention
washingtontimes.com 22.1.2007
Every 17 minutes someone commits suicide in the America. Brian Altman wants people to know how suicide can be prevented so it doesn't happen to anyone they love.

This month, Mr. Altman was named director of public policy and program development at the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) in Northwest.

SPAN was created in 1996 as a nonprofit organization for people who lost loved ones to suicide and want to build awareness of mental health.

"Brian is just what we were looking for," said Jerry Reed, executive director of SPAN. "He has a lot of experience working with Congress and the administration on mental health issues." (...)

Dangers of Untreated Depression Outweigh Drug Risks, Coalition Says
Psychiatr News January 19, 2007
Volume 42, Number 2, page 10
© 2007 American Psychiatric Association
A critical mass of patients, clinicians, researchers, and other mental health advocates successfully delivers a clear message to an FDA advisory committee. (...)

"As advocates for people living with depression and other mental illnesses," the letter began, "we strongly urge the FDA to carefully consider the potential impact of the agency's public statements on the risks and benefits of antidepressants. Access to effective treatments for depression is pivotal in improving the lives of the 19 million Americans that face this devastating illness each year."

The coalition's efforts were led at the December 13 briefing by David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America (MHA). He noted that "without treatment, this disorder can be fatal—15 percent of people who live with untreated depression take their own lives. (...)

In addition to Shern, the briefing featured APA President-elect Carolyn Robinowitz, M.D.; Carl Salzman, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at Harvard who represented the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology; and patient/consumer advocate Sheri Walton, who also represented MHA. (...)

These are the 15 members of the coalition:
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
• American Association of Suicidology
• American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• American Psychiatric Association
• American Psychotherapy Association
• Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Families for Depression Awareness
• Kristin Brooks Hope Center
• Mental Health America
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
• Suicide Prevention Action Network
• The Jason Foundation Inc. (...)

Doctors dispute linking concussions, suicide
centredaily.com 20.1.2007
Did the pounding Andre Waters absorbed in the NFL leave him with brain damage that ultimately led to his depression and subsequent suicide in November?

That is the claim made by a Pittsburgh neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, in a story in Thursday's New York Times. But several prominent members of the medical community, including the Tampa doctor who performed the autopsy on Waters, reacted to the article with skepticism. (...)

Expert Ties Ex-Player’s Suicide to Brain Damage
nytimes.com 1.1.2007
Since the former National Football League player Andre Waters killed himself in November, an explanation for his suicide has remained a mystery. But after examining remains of Mr. Waters’s brain, a neuropathologist in Pittsburgh is claiming that Mr. Waters had sustained brain damage from playing football and he says that led to his depression and ultimate death. (...)

Var tredje tar sitt liv trots psykkontakt
dn.se 17.1.2007
Vart tredje självmord i Sverige begås av personer mindre än en månad efter att de varit i kontakt med psykvården. Under förra året skedde det minst 329 gånger.

- DET ÄR MER ÄN vi trodde att det skulle vara, säger Jonas Karlsson, chef för tillsynsavdelningen på Socialstyrelsen, till TT.

Den senaste tiden har flera fall uppmärksammats där en person som sökt hjälp hos psykiatrin tagit sitt liv strax därpå. (...)

SUICIDES FROM GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE INCREASE; MERITS OF REPORTING NUMBERS IN DISPUTE
cbs5.com 17.1.2007
(...) At least 34 people died after jumping from the bridge last year, a number that could increase at the conclusions of ongoing investigations into other deaths that appeared to be Golden Gate Bridge suicides, Holmes said. (...)

Overdose-boom i Trondheim
nrk.no 11.1.2007
Det er lenge siden det var så mange narkotika-overdoser i Trøndelag som i fjor. (...)

Up to 17 confirmed suicides among UK troops after serving in Iraq
irna.ir 11.1.2007
As many as 23 British troops may have committed suicide while or after serving in Iraq up to the end of 2005, according to the latest official figures. (...)

Suicide rates in hospitals 'very high'
thewest.com.au 11.1.2007
Suicide is the second most common cause of death of people admitted to Australian hospitals suffering from injury, a new report has found.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released two reports - one looking at injuries that resulted in admission to Australian hospitals in the 2003/04 period and the other looking at deaths in hospitals caused by injury.
Falls were the most common cause of both deaths and admissions to hospitals in 2003/04 - causing almost 125,000 hospital admissions and almost 3,000 deaths. (...)

Newly Released Prisoners At High Risk Of Death
medicalnewstoday.com 11.1.2007
Inmates from Washington state prisons in the US are 13 times more likely to die within the first two weeks of their release than other people of similar age, sex and race. The most likely cause of death at this vulnerable period of a former inmate's life is drug overdose, followed by suicide, heart disease, and homicide.

This research is published in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. (...)

Link Between Suicide and Sleeping Problems (Link mellom selvmord og søvnproblemer)
sr.se 10.1.2007
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
A new Swedish study reveals that sleep disturbances, especially nightmares, are common among people who have attempted suicide.
Co-author Nisse Sjöström of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska University Hospital says as far as they know, this is the first report on the association between nightmares and suicide. The researchers studied 165 adults, aged between 18 and 68, who were admitted to the hospital after attempting suicide.

Eighty-nine percent reported having at least one type of sleeping problem, with difficulty falling asleep as the most common. Two out of three reported experiencing nightmares.

The researchers report their results in the journal of the American Sleep Disorders Association. (...)

Teen suicide warning signs tough to spot
upi.com 3.1.2007
-- A Michigan child psychologist says the warning signs of suicidal thoughts in youth are often confused with "normal" experiences of teens.
But it is possible to learn to identify the signs of risk, according to Cheryl King, the director of the youth depression and suicide prevention program at the University of Michigan Depression Center. (...)

Nightmares linked to suicide attempts
upi.com 2.1.2007
GOTEBORG, Sweden, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Sleep disturbances are common among suicide attempters, and nightmares are associated with suicidality, according to Swedish researchers.

The study, conducted by Nisse Sjostrom and colleagues of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Goteborg, focused on 165 patients ages 18 to 68 who were admitted to medical units or psychiatric wards at Sahlgrenska after a suicide attempt.

The researchers found that 89 percent of subjects reported some kind of sleep disturbance. The most common complaint was difficulties initiating sleep -- 73 percent, followed by 69 percent who had difficulties maintaining sleep, 66 percent with nightmares and 58 percent with early-morning awakening. Nightmares were associated with a five-fold increase in risk for high suicidality. (...)

What drives a person to suicide?
xinhuanet.com 18.12.2006
BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Depression, poor quality of life and unemployment can be killers -- they are listed among the top ten reasons for suicide in China, according to a research report.

The research, launched in 2002 and jointly conducted by the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found that serious depression, a previous failed suicide attempt and a strong emotional stimulus are critical warning signs in suicide cases. (...)

Should antidepressant drugs be banned in children?
innovations-report.de 15.12.2006
A review by David Cohen (Universitè Pierre et Marie Curie) addresses a hot topic in clinical proctice: the prescription of antidepressant drugs in children and adolescents in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. (...)

(Anm: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2007;76:5-14.

(...) Conclusion: An SSRI prescription is still a second-line option in severe and resistant forms of youth depression. However, in children and adolescents only specialists well trained in child and adolescent psychiatry should prescribe SSRIs.)

For mange over 65 begår selvmord
netdoktor.com 14.12.2006
Selvmordstallet falder i alle andre aldersgrupper end hos ældre. Kritikken går på, at sundhedspersonalet overser faresignalerne. (...)

Desuden er de ældre fast besluttede, når de først har bestemt sig for at dø: ”Når de ældre har besluttet sig for at dø, så lykkes det for dem,” siger overlæge Jonna Jacobsen fra Center for Selvmordsforebyggelse i Nordjylland. (...)

Panel Wants Broader Antidepressant Labeling
nytimes.com 14.12.2006
— Strong warning labels about the suicide risk associated with antidepressants, which now include children and adolescents, should be extended to adults under 25, a federal advisory panel concluded Wednesday.

The panel, which voted 6 to 2 to recommend the warnings after a daylong hearing, also advised the Food and Drug Administration to require including information in the drugs’ labels highlighting the risks of untreated depression.

Since 2004, antidepressants have carried black-box warnings — the strongest the F.D.A. can require — about the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior for children and adolescents. The warnings appear in bold type set off by black borders, usually at the top of the prescribing information provided by drug makers to doctors and patients.

“I really feel we have an obligation to warn the public when we have new information, and we do,” said Jean Bronstein, a consumer representative and panel member from Sunnyvale, Calif., referring to a recent F.D.A. analysis that found a link between suicidal behavior and antidepressants in young adults, but not in older people. (...)

Connection between SSRIs, suicide coming under review
ama-assn.org 18.12.2006
Studies will undertake a variety of approaches ranging from examining large databases to developing assessment tools. (...)

The Big Suicide Loophole in Antidepressant Drug Safety Studies
huffingtonpost.com 10.12.2006
On December 13, 2006 the FDA's Psychopharmaceutical Drugs Advisory Committee (PDAC) is meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland to discuss antidepressant-induced suicidal behavior in adults. In 2004 the FDA held similar hearings on children and concluded that antidepressants do in fact cause suicide in humans under age eighteen. A warning has been placed in all antidepressant labels or package inserts. (...)

Suicide not as rare as many think
upi.com 8.12.2006
-- Suicide, the 11th-leading cause of death in the United States, is not as rare as many think, says a U.S. professor of psychology.

John McIntosh, an expert in suicide prevention at Indiana University South Bend, says suicide claims 31,000 Americans each year and that suicide is nearly twice as common as homicide, killing one person every 16.7 minutes in the United States. (...)

Antidepressants Up Suicide Risk In Young
cbsnews.com 5.12.2006
FDA Says Suicidal Behavior And Thoughts Increase In Young Adults Who Take The Drugs (...)

Antidepressants raise risk of suicidal behavior for young people, FDA says
usatoday.com 5.12.2006
— Using antidepressants increases the risk of suicidal behavior among young adults but lessens it for seniors, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

The effects of antidepressants on adults from 25 to 64 were mixed, so much so that the FDA would only conclude the drug had a neutral effect on suicidal behavior for them. (...)

Flere med dobbeldiagnose rus og psykiatri
shdir.no 6.12.2006
Antall mennesker med dobbeldiagnose rus og psykiatri har økt de siste årene og i dag har omtrent halvparten av dem som legges inn på psykiatriske akuttavdelinger rusproblemer i større eller mindre grad. (...)

Study Finds Medication Raises Suicide Risks in Young Adults
nytimes.com 6.12.2006
In a long-awaited analysis, health officials reported yesterday that antidepressant medications appeared to increase significantly the risk of suicide attempts and related behaviors in adults under 25, while reducing such risks in older people. (...)

Elderly Antidepressant Risk May Be Less
forbes.com 5.12.2006
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that antidepressants appear to increase the risk of suicidal thinking in young adults, but that in older adults the risk declines.

The FDA reviewed data from 372 clinical studies involving 11 antidepressants including Paxil from GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Zoloft from Pfizer Inc. and Prozac from Eli Lilly & Co. The studies involved almost 100,000 patients. (...)

Antidepressant-Linked Suicide Risk May Vary With Age (Update4)
bloomberg.com 5.12.2006
- Antidepressant drugs such as Wyeth's Effexor and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Paxil appear to increase the chance of suicidal thoughts and attempts in adults under age 25, while reducing the risk among older adults, U.S. regulators said. (...)

Cautious Interpretation
"We have to be cautious in interpreting a causal link between the medications and any increase in suicidal thinking and behavior,'' especially among young adults, said Kelly Posner, a Columbia University psychiatrist who helped create the system the FDA uses to categorize suicidal events. Even with young adults, "These studies were not set up to assess for suicide risks.''

The review of studies in adults examined results from 372 trials involving 99,839 participants, the FDA said in its report today. Also included were Lilly's Cymbalta, Pfizer Inc.'s Zoloft, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Serzone, Forest Laboratories Inc.'s Celexa and Lexapro, Akzo Nobel NV's Remeron and Solvay SA's Luvox.

In the trials reviewed by the agency, eight patients committed suicide, 134 attempted suicide, 10 took preparatory steps to kill themselves but never made an actual attempt, and 378 reported thinking about suicide without taking any action. Agency reviewers looked at all these categories in their analysis. (...)

FDA staff: Adult antidepressant risks differ by age
reuters.com 5.12.2006
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Taking antidepressants appears to raise the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in adults younger than 25, U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff said in an analysis released on Tuesday. (...)

Antidepressant drug treatment reduces mortality, researchers say
reuters.co.uk 5.12.2006
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antidepressant drug treatment is associated with a reduced risk of completed suicides and overall mortality among adults, although it also appears to increase the likelihood of nonfatal suicide attempts, according to a research team in Finland. (...)

Läkemedel minskade självmordsrisk
dagensmedicin.se 5.12.2006
Antidepressiva läkemedel minskar risken för att deprimerade patienter ska begå självmord. Och hos barn och ungdomar syns ingen ökad suicidrisk, enligt en ny studie från Finland. (...)

Däremot löpte barn och ungdomar som fick läkemedlet paroxetin en femfaldigt ökad risk för annan våldsam eller olycksrelaterad dödlighet. (...)

Archives of General Psychiatry, 2006; 63: 1358-1367 (...)

(Anm: paroxsetin (paroxetine); markesføres i Norge under handelsnavn som bl.a. Seroxat; Paxil i USA.)

Antidepressant drug treatment reduces mortality
reutershealth.com 4.12.2006
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antidepressant drug treatment is associated with a reduced risk of completed suicides and overall mortality among adults, although it also appears to increase the likelihood of nonfatal suicide attempts, according to a research team in Finland. (...)

The study group included 15,390 patients who were not psychotic, at least 10 years old, and hospitalized after a failed suicide attempt between 1997 and 2003. The authors evaluated treatment with three classes of antidepressant drugs: tricyclic antidepressants (such as Elavil); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (such as Prozac); and serotonergic-noradrenergic antidepressants (such as Effexor). During the follow-up period there were 602 completed suicides, 7,136 suicide attempts and 1,583 deaths. (...)

Tiihonen and his associates conclude: "Antidepressant treatment may contribute to a substantial decrease in mortality among this patient population."

SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, December 2006. (...)

Homicides by mentally ill 'largely avoidable'
inthenews.co.uk 4.12.2006
1,300 suicides by mentally ill people have been carried out during past five years (...)

Behandling forebygger selvmord
helserevyen.no 29.11.2006
Psykoterapi og antidepressiver kan redusere selvmord og selvmordsatferd. Det viser en systematisk gjennomgang av medisinske studier.

Det går frem i en ny rapport fra Kunnskapssenteret, som er gjort på oppdrag fra Sosial- og helsedirektoratet. (...)

Offensiv mot selvmord
aftenposten.no 23.11.2006
Selvmord er ikke "noe som bare skjer". Målrettet innsats mot risikogrupper redder mange liv.

- En effektiv og vellykket behandling.
Slik lyder den hyggelige meldingen fra en av Norges fremste fagfolk, professor Lars Mehlum ved Seksjon for selvmordsforskning og -forebygging, Universitetet i Oslo. Verktøyet han snakker om, har et vanskelig navn, men resultatet er enkelt å forstå: En betydelig reduksjon av antallet selvmord blant unge mennesker.

Så langt har få unge nordmenn fått nyte godt av "dialektisk adferdsterapi". Men etter overbevisende resultater i bl.a. USA, Canada og Nederland, etableres nå behandlingstilbudet her hjemme, i første omgang ved Ullevål og Aker Universitetssykehus og ved Lillestrømklinikken i Akershus. (...)

Tests find alcohol in many suicides
washingtontimes.com 25.11.2006
More than a third of those who committed suicide in 2004 tested positive for alcohol, according to a federal study.

The test results, taken from suicide victims in 13 states, also showed that 10 percent had opiates, cocaine, marijuana or amphetamines in their system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in the report, which was released Thursday.

"These results underscore the need to continue monitoring toxicology test results of suicide victims, which might identify patterns of substance use that can help guide development of effective suicide interventions," wrote the authors, led by Debra Karch of the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention. The findings were published in the agency's Morbidity & Morbidity Weekly Report. (...)

(Anm: Toxicology Testing and Results for Suicide Victims --- 13 States, 2004. November 24, 2006 / 55(46);1245-1248.)

Alcohol found in one-third of U.S. suicides
reuters.com 23.11.2006
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alcohol may be involved in as many as one-third of U.S. suicides, federal researchers reported on Thursday.

Test results from suicide victims in 13 states showed that 33.3 percent had alcohol in their blood, and 16.4 percent had opiates, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its weekly report on death and disease.

"These results underscore the need to continue monitoring toxicology test results of suicide victims, which might identify patterns of substance use that can help guide development of effective suicide interventions," the team at CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control wrote.

Just as many suicide victims had alcohol or other drugs in their systems when they were suspected of using the drugs to kill themselves as those who used other means, the researchers said.

In 2003, an estimated 31,484 suicides (10.7 per 100,000 population) occurred in the United States," the report reads.

"Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among persons aged 10 to 64 years and the second and third leading causes of death among persons aged 25 to 34 and 10 to 24 years, respectively." (...)

Growth in child suicides of 'extreme concern'
nzherald.co.nz 20.11.2006
The emergence of suicide among 10- to 14-year-olds is of "extreme concern" and efforts to reduce New Zealand's high suicide rate must address this age group, an independent committee has warned.

The Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee highlighted the worrying suicide trend in its latest yearly report to the Minister of Health.

Using data from 2002 to 2004, the committee found that more than 10 per cent of all deaths in the 10 to 14-year age group were due to suicide. (...)

Suicides most common by older white men
gotriad.com 19.11.2006
(...) Statistics show that about every hour and a half, an American older than 65 takes his or her life. Victims are almost always white men. Firearms tend to be their method.

As one expert told national lawmakers in September, compared with average citizens, men older than 85 are five times more likely to kill themselves.

And unlike suicide attempts by the young, death occurs more often when the elderly try to end their lives. One of every 200 suicide attempts by youths ends in death , according to the California-based Institute on Aging. For seniors, one out of every four attempts is fatal.

Still, not all recent statistics spell gloom. (...)

Suicide leaves survivors with grief, unanswered questions
tribune-chronicle.com 19.11.2006
(...) Eighty-six Americans commit suicide in the United States every day, or about one person every 17 minutes. And each one of those deaths, according to research from the American Association of Suicidology, affects at least six other people.

In Trumbull County alone, the 35 recorded suicides so far in 2006 is outpacing recent years and is fast approaching the seven-year high of 36 in 1999.

Both mothers say they beat themselves up during the struggle to cope with their children’s death, asking themselves why they couldn’t detect the despair, why Michael or Valerie didn’t seek their help and just, why. (...)

New look at anti-depressant/suicide risk
upi.com 14.11.2006
-- The National Institute of Mental Health is funding a variety of new research projects that hope to shed light on the possible link between a particular type of anti-depressant medication and suicidality.

"This study is really a combination of studies looking at kids, adults and the elderly. It would be very helpful if we could learn more about the sets of subgroups that are at risk for this problem," said Dr. Jane Pearson, acting deputy director of the Division of Services and Intervention Research at the NIMH. (...)

Suicide is not painless
zwire.com 11.10.2006
(...) A commonality shared between young and older adults who may be contemplating suicide is the pain they feel.

"Pain is such a huge issue," Jennifer Marshall, the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging, said. She shared the link of medical conditions with the prevalence of suicide, such as those who have diabetes with complications are 70 percent more likely to commit suicide.

This is also shared with younger people.

"Typically, a person who is suicidal is in pain," Dr. David Ramirez, Swarthmore College’s director of psychology services, said. "I think the challenge ..is being able to listen." (...)

Antidepressants Lower Kids' Suicide Risk, New Research Finds
theledger.com 7.11.2006
The debate about how antidepressants might affect suicide risk in children and adolescents just got murkier.

Spurred by reports of suicidality in pediatric antidepressant users, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration two years ago slapped a "black box" warning on popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs, or SSRIs, such as the brands Celexa, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft, warning of the possible risk. (...)

The finding "is not a surprise," says Dr. Grant Mitchell, chief of psychiatry at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. "There is a much greater risk of suicide in patients who are depressed and untreated than there is from the use of SSRIs in terms of side effects." (...)

Alcohol deaths double since 1991
bbc.co.uk 7.11.2006
The gap between the sexes has widened
Alcohol-related death rates have almost doubled since 1991 in the UK and continue to rise, government statistics have revealed.

In 1991, the number of alcohol-related deaths stood at 4,144, while in 2005 the number leapt to 8,386, the Office for National Statistics said.

A small rise of 165 alcohol deaths was seen between 2004 and 2005.
The analysis also revealed alcohol death rates were much higher for men than for women.

It also showed the gap between the sexes had widened in recent years.

In 2005, the male death rate was 17.9 deaths per 100,000 of the population, compared with 8.3 deaths per 100,000 for females. (...)

Poor readers more likely to consider suicide
dailytimes.com 7.11.2006
Teens who can’t read well may also be at high risk for suicide, a new study warns.

They’re also more likely than other kids their age to drop out of school, say researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“In our study, poor readers were three times more likely than typical readers to consider or attempt suicide, and six times more likely to drop out of school,” the study’s lead author Stephanie Sergent Daniel said. (...)

Japan suicides down as economy improves
theage.com.au 3.11.2006
The number of Japanese who committed suicide fell by nearly eight per cent in the first half of this year, government data showed, a drop one official said reflected the improving economy. (...)

Flere selvmord enn først antatt
nrk.no 3.11.2006
Ni av 62 som døde i trafikken i region øst i fjor, har vist seg å være selvmord.

Den offisielle statistikken viser at to av 62 trafikkofre i Region øst i 2005 tok sitt eget liv. Ulykkesanalysesarbeidet til Staten vegvesen har økt tallet til ni, skriver vegvesenets avis «Vegen og vi». (...)

Suicide Data Counter Claims Of Antidepressant Link
Psychiatr News November 3, 2006
Volume 41, Number 21, page 8
© 2006 American Psychiatric Association
Researchers are questioning the factors driving down suicide rates among youth and elderly Americans but note that the lower suicide rates coincided with increased use of antidepressants. (...)

Suicides down in Japan as economy improves
alertnet.org 2.11.2006
TOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The number of Japanese who committed suicide fell by nearly 8 percent in the first half of this year, government data showed on Thursday, a drop one official said reflected the improving economy.
A total of 14,828 people committed suicide from January to June, down from 16,082 in the same period of 2005, data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare showed. (...)

Alcohol now Finland's top killer
bbc.co.uk 1.11.2006
(...) Alcohol has become the leading cause of death in Finland for men, and is a close second for women, a study says.

Figures for 2005 released by the state statistics agency showed alcohol killed more people aged 15 to 64 than cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Almost as many women died of alcohol-related causes as breast cancer last year. (...)

Child Suicide: No Antidepressant Link?
webmd.com 1.11.2006
Study Links Low Child Suicide Rate to High Overall Antidepressant Use

-- A new study questions whether giving antidepressant drugs to children really increases their risk of suicide. (...)

The study's methods are controversial. It doesn't look at whether children who did or didn't kill themselves actually took antidepressants. It simply looks at the number of SSRI prescriptions written for every outpatient -- regardless of age -- in every county in the U.S. Then it compares this prescription rate to the number of child suicides in each county. (...)

It's not proof. But it's reassuring all the same, says study researcher Robert D. Gibbons, PhD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Health Statistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. (...)

Gibbons and colleagues report their findings in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. (...)

"These studies don't prove to us that prescribing more antidepressants reduces suicide risk -- but as rates of antidepressant use have gone up, we don't see that rates of suicide have gone up at the same time," Simon tells WebMD. "So there is some reassurance, at least, that we are not creating a big suicide problem by prescribing these drugs." (...)

(Anm: How Can We Know Whether Antidepressants Increase Suicide Risk? American Journal of Psychiatry 163:1861-1863 (November 2006).)

ANTI-DEPRESSANTS MAY INCREASE RISK OF CHILD SUICIDE, SAY RESEARCHERS
THISISLONDON.CO.UK 1.11.2006
Children who take antidepressants run a higher risk of self-harm and attempting suicide, says new research.
The findings from a study of almost 3,000 children - some as young as six - will reinforce warnings to doctors not to prescribe medication to youngsters. (...)

Anti-Depressant Feature: Woman killed herself weeks after taking drug
huntspost.co.uk 1.11.2006
Janice and John's story
JANICE'S husband John, a lorry driver, and his first wife (who he does not wish to name) were having problems with their marriage in 1991 and went to the doctor to seek counselling.

Janice said: "Their GP said you will wait a year for that, and he put them both on Prozac. His wife went back within a week saying 'I feel like a zombie' but the doctor said it was just early days and she should keep on taking the tablets. She tried to kill herself twice in three weeks and she succeeded the third time." (...)

New Figures Show Suicide Rate Continues To Fall In UK
medicalnewstoday.com 28.10.2006
A new guide was published recently, giving advice on how to prevent suicides at local 'hotspots', such as railway bridges or cliffs. The guide, produced by the Department of Health, provides advice on how to identify potential hotspots and suggests measures, such as installing telephone helplines, to deter people who want to kill themselves. (...)

Mange alkohol-dødsfall i Finland...
nrk.no/teksttv 27.10.2006
I Finland er skader forårsaket av alkohol den viktigste dødsårsaken. Det fremgår av et nyhetsbrev fra Nordisk ministerråd, skriver Jyllands-Posten.

I nyhetsbrevet står det også at senkede alkoholpriser i Finland har ført til mer fyll.

I tiden etter at prisene ble satt ned har også familievolden økt kraftig, og 20-30 prosent av barn i hovedstaden bor i hjem der vold og misbruk er vanlig.

Alkoholpolitikk i de nordiske landene står på dagsorden i rådets neste møte. (...)

Alarm i Finland: Stadig flere drikker seg i hjel
aftenposten.no 31.10.2005
(...) Alkoholpolitikken i Norden er også til debatt under Nordisk Råds sesjon i København 30. oktober – 2. november. Velferdspolitikken i de nordiske landene blir en viktig del av generaldebatten i år.

Les alle artiklene: http://www.analysnorden.org/analysnorden/default.asp
Läs mer om Nordiska rådets session: http://www.norden.org

Billig alkohol sätter fula spår
analysnorden.org 25.10.2006
Det är inte bara en myt att finnarna inte tål sprit. Sedan alkoholskatten sjönk radikalt år 2004 har alkoholkonsumtionen ökat drastiskt och samtidigt även de skador som drickandet medför. Framför allt har många missgynnade familjer blivit än mer utslagna i och med att det finländska välfärdssamhället delar sig i en framgångsrik majoritet och en allt mer förfördelad minoritet. (...)

Online gambling fuels addicts, suicide conference told
cbc.ca 27.10.2006
Unregulated internet gambling is simply adding to the growing problem of addiction, delegates attending the Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention conference in Toronto were told this week.

An estimated 200 compulsive gamblers commit suicide in Canada every year, said Terry Flynn, a director of spiritual care at the Bellwood Health Services facility in Toronto.

The growth of gambling on the internet, where no regulations exist, is making the problem worse, Flynn said. (...)

Suicide in recently released prisoners
The Lancet 2006; 368:1492-1493

Media coverage of murders and suicides seen as sensational
gov.tw 26.10.2006
Media sensationalism in reporting murder and suicide cases in Taiwan during the past several months may have created a "copycat effect" and unknowingly "taught" more "disturbed" parents how to kill their children and themselves, according to an analysis released by the Broadcasting Development Fund on Wednesday. (...)

Should Bridges Be Suicideproof?
boston.com 22.10.2006
WHY BARRIERS TO JUMPERS MIGHT MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE. (...)

Barriers, I fear, simply push the problem elsewhere, making it less visible but not less likely. The lesson I draw from the Tobin experience is that, instead of money for fences, perhaps it would be better to spend our resources on surveillance and response. Such an effort probably wouldn't stop all who try to jump, but those it prevented might find their lives truly saved. (...)

Law on tablets reduces suicides
timesonline.co.uk 22.10.2006
THE number of paracetamol tablets taken in deliberate overdoses has fallen significantly since supermarkets and convenience stores were banned from selling packets of 24, writes Jan Battles. (...)

Drought forces up Australian farmer suicides
scotsman.com 19.10.2006
Australia: Farmes are committing suicide at the rate of one every four days, defeated by the country's worst drought in 100 years which has left them with a mountain of debt, says a national mental health body.

The drought is now entering its sixth year. (...)

'Cosmetic Surgery Boom Linked To Suicides'
lse.co.uk 19.10.2006
The boom in cosmetic surgery may be sparking an alarming increase in suicides, scientists fear.

The quest for the body beautiful has gone mainstream as record numbers of people turn to the knife in a bid to become more attractive, a report reveals. (...)

Kreftpasienter begår oftere selvmord
aftenposten.no 19.10.2006
Risikoen for selvmord er dobbelt så høy blant kreftpasienter som hos andre, viser en canadisk undersøkelse. (...)

Risikoen for selvmord øker med to til to og en halv gang blant kreftpasienter, noe leger og sykepleiere må ta på alvor, konkluderer undersøkelsen som er utført av dr. Wayne Kendal ved Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Centre. (...)

Cancer patients have higher suicide risk: study
reuters.com 18.10.2006
TORONTO (Reuters) - Cancer patients have a two to 2-1/2 times greater risk of committing suicide than the general population, and doctors and nurses should take heed of the risk, a study by a Canadian oncologist said on Wednesday.

The study was done by Dr. Wayne Kendal, a radiation oncologist at the Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Center, based on an analysis of 1.3 million cancer cases in the United States. His analysis showed that 19 out of every 1,000 males with cancer and four out of every 1,000 females with cancer take their own lives.

That equates to around 24 suicides per 100,000 cancer patients per year. The general American population, including the cancer population, has a much lower rate of 10.6 suicides per 100,000 people per year, Kendal said. (...)

Number of suicides drop in Czech Republic
praguemonitor.co 14.10.2006
Prague, Oct 14 (CTK) - The number of suicides has been gradually dropping in the Czech Republic and now makes up 1.5 percent of all deaths, according to statistical data released by the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) on its website. (...)

Suicides may rise
news.com.au 12.10.2006
THE Government has warned that the devastating drought gripping the country could increase the suicide rate among desperate farmers.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing Christopher Pyne said today that the drought was putting pressure on rural families. (...)

SUICIDES IN CHILE DOUBLE
tcgnews.com 13.10.2006
The number of suicides in Chile doubled over the past decade, according to a recent study by the Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurosurgery Society (SSNN).

This same group also expressed alarm that during the next six months an estimated 800,000 Chileans will suffer from depression.

“What we are seeing in Chile is the exactly what has happened in other developing countries over the last 45 years,” said Pedro Retamal of the SSNN. “Rapid economic growth has caused vast improvements in living conditions, but at the cost of increasing competitiveness, stress, work hours, and professional and student demands.” (...)

Hver tredje selvmordspatient bliver svigtet
netdoktor.com 13.10.2006
Selv om patienterne har forsøgt at tage deres eget liv, så er det ikke sikkert, at de bliver tilset af en psykiater.

En undersøgelse fra sygehuset i Glostrup viser, at en stor del af de selvmordstruede patienter ikke får hjælp fra en psykiater efter at de er blevet indlagt. Ifølge morgenavisen 24 timer blev der i løbet fem måneder sidste år indlagt 52 personer, der havde skader efter at have prøvet at begå selvmord.

18 af dem blev ikke tilset af en psykiater, viser en undersøgelse. (...)

One million suicides worldwide every year
independent.com 11.10.2006
Suicide is the third major cause of death for people aged between 15 and 44 years, said Health, Elderly and Community Care Minister Louis Deguara yesterday.

Dr Deguara was speaking at a seminar organised by the Richmond Foundation to mark World Mental Health Day, celebrated yesterday.

The theme, chosen by the World Health Organisation this year, is Building Awareness – Reducing Risk: Mental Illness and Suicide.

In Europe, the suicide rate varies from 44 out of 100,000 people in Lithuania to 3.6 out of 100,000 in Greece. (...)

According to WHO, 50 per cent of those who commit suicide suffer from alcohol and drug abuse, and 90 per cent of these suffer from depression.

Minister Deguara pointed out that depression is the main common factor that leads to suicide and added that the government is committed to launch new prevention services and cures for adolescents suffering from depression. (...)

“There are more people dying as a result of suicides than through wars, murders and terrorist attacks put together,” said Mrs D’Amato. She added that the WHO campaign will help to overcome the mistaken idea that mental health problems are secondary to other health problems. (...)

Psychiatrist wants suicide attempt decriminalised in Ghana
angolapress-angop.ao 11.10.2006
Accra, Ghana, 10/11 - With tongues wagging about the increasing rate of suicide attempts, Ghana`s top mental doctors are calling for the decriminalising of suicide attempts. Instead, such cases should be referred to the psychiatrists or psychologists.

Dr Akwasi Osei, acting Chief Psychiatrist noted that suicide was increasingly becoming a major hazard contributing to the enormous mental illness experienced not only in Ghana but also worldwide. (...)

Rising suicides worry psychiatrists
thejakartapost.com 11.10.2006
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Medical experts warned Tuesday that Indonesia's rising suicide rate was representative of the declining level of mental health in the country. (...)

Mixing emotions with suicide
jamaica-gleaner.com 11.10.2006
Contrary to the general perception, Jamaica's suicide rate is among the lowest in the world. Data from the Ministry of Health indicate a range of between 2.1 and 3 per 100,000 over the last five years. (...)

High Suicide Risk Found for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
JAMA 2006;296:1716-1717 (October 11)
Chicago—Traditional treatment regimens and limited interventional therapies for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) have led to unanticipated social and psychological problems for such individuals, including a dramatic increase in the risk of suicide, according to experts gathered at the American Head and Neck Society's annual meeting here in August. (...)

Most Suicide Rates Decline, But Findings Are Puzzling
medicalnewstoday.com 8.10.2006
First, the good news: Suicide rates among younger and older Americans have been declining since the early 1990s. Now, the puzzling news: No one really knows why.

Those are the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina and released Thursday (Sept. 28) in the October issue of the American Journal of Public Health. (...)

Selvmordsforsøk forandrer ikke livet
nrk.no 9.10.2006
Et selvmordsforsøk vil ikke forandre livet. Tvert imot kan det bli enda vanskeligere å takle hverdagen etterpå. (...)

Cultural factors behind suicides among UK-based Indians: Study
zeenews.com 7.10.2006
Chennai, Oct 07: Cultural factors could be the reason for "high prevalence of suicidal tendencies" among UK-based Indians, a study done by the Royal College of Psychiatry in UK has claimed.

"The highest rates of suicides in the United Kingdom were recorded among South Asian women," Dinesh Bhugra, Dean of the college, told a press conference organised by Sneha, a voluntary organisation working at preventing suicides here.

Quoting statistics from certain studies done at the college, he said "Indian doctors, including dentists, living there resorted to such brutal ways of killing themselves like setting themselves ablaze".

On the cultural factor, he claimed there was a disparity between the joint family set up among Indians prevalent in several parts of England and the environment in schools and workplace, which caused emotional trauma. (...)

Adolescent suicide in the Middle East: ostrich head in sand
- Mustafa Afifi
(...) Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2006, 84 (10) (October)
Finally, not all suicides are associaated with depression. For example,
in Alexandria, adolescents’ aggression predicted suicide ideation and intent.² There are, hypothetically at least, two types of suicidal behaviour most commmon during adolescence: a wish to die (depression) and a wish not to be here for a time (impulse control).⁸ (...)

SUICIDE TOLL FALLS
dailyrecord.co.uk 4.10.2006
SUICIDES by Scottish men have dropped by more than 20 per cent over the past three years.

The rate has also fallen for women, with a drop of five per cent.
In the last 30 years, Scottish male suicides rose by 50 per cent while the female rate is almost double the UK average.

The Executive said suicides have fallen since the 2002 launch of the Choose Life scheme. (...)

Concern over suicide in young females
irishhealth.com 29.9.2006
Concern has been expressed about the increasing number of young Irish women who have died as a result of suicide in recent years.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Irish Association of Suicidology (IAS), Fine Gael TD, Dan Neville, who is also president of the association, said that while the total rate of female suicide has remained 'fairly constant since 1990', the rate among young women has soared. (...)

Female suicides have trebled since 1990

THE number of young women committing suicide has trebled since 1990, a conference heard yesterday.

The vast increase in suicide among women aged 15-24 years was highlighted at the 11th Annual Conference of the Irish Association of Suicidology (IAS), by President Dan Neville.

Describing female suicide as "complex and challenging", Mr Neville said that alcohol and binge-drinking in particular, coupled with a more violent and far less cohesive society were all contributory factors.

In 1980, the Irish female suicide rate was two deaths per 100,000. This remained relatively stable until 1992 when there was a marked increase. By 2001 the figure was seven per 100,000.

”Vellykket” hjem gir økt selvmordsrisiko
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen (29.9.2006)
Det er dobbelt så stor risiko for at kvinner som har vokst opp i velstående hjem begår selvmord, som at kvinner som har foreldrene med lav inntekt og grunnskoleutdanning gjør det.

Det viser en norsk studie publisert i Social Science & Medicine. Bjørn Heine Strand ved Folkehelseinstituttet og professor Anton Kunst ved Erasmus Medical Center i Rotterdam har fulgt over 600 000 norske kvinner og menn i alderen 25-35 år fra 1990-2001 ved hjelp av data fra Dødsårsaksregisteret og Folke- og boligtellingene. (...)

Høy status gir flere selvmord
dagbladet.no 28.9.2006
Det er første gang i Norge at forskere har sett på forholdet mellom sosial status i barndommen og selvmordsrisiko i voksen alder.

Resultatene viser at kvinner mellom 25-35 år som har vokst opp i hjem hvor foreldrene har statusyrker, høy inntekt eller høy utdanning, har høyere selvmordsrisiko enn kvinner fra hjem der foreldrene har lav inntekt og grunnskoleutdanning.

- Dette er uavhengig av kvinnens sosiale status som voksen, sier en av forskerne bak studien, Bjørn Heine Strand, direktør i Avdeling for helsestatistikk, Divisjon for epidemiologi ved Nasjonalt folkehelseinstitutt. (...)

Resultatene er nylig publisert i tidsskriftet Social Science & Medicine. (...)

Rise in suicide by hanging
theaustralian.news.com 18.9.2006
THE number of Australians taking their own lives each year has plunged by more than 600 - but suicide by hanging has risen as a proportion of total deaths.

The figures emerged yesterday as psychiatrists pleaded for more spending on mental health in prisons, warning that many people released from psychiatric institutions recently had turned up in jails. (...)

An epidemic of doc suicides
suntimes.com 5.9.2006
(...) Harvard University researchers who compiled the results of 25 suicide studies concluded that male doctors are 1.4 times more likely than the general population to commit suicide, and female doctors are 2.3 times more likely. (...)

As far back as 1858, doctors in England observed that physicians had high suicide rates. But only recently have suicide experts begun to raise the alarm. (...)

Doctors have ready access to potentially lethal drugs, and their suicide attempts are more likely to succeed. For example, among all women, only one out of every 10 or 15 suicide attempts is successful. But among female doctors, there are more successful suicide attempts than unsuccessful ones. (...)

- Selvmord tar flere liv enn krig og drap
aftenposten.no 8.9.2006
Flere dør hvert år av selvmord enn av krig, terror og drap til sammen, hevder to eksperter på området fredag. (...)

(Anm: Press release. World Suicide Prevention Day 2006 Held on Sept 10th.)

Ifølge Dr. Jose Manoel Bertolote i Verdens helseorganisasjon forsøker mellom 20 og 60 millioner å ta sitt eget liv hvert år. Bare rundt én million lykkes.
- For dem som tar sitt liv er dette tragiske situasjoner hvor hjelp kunne blitt gitt, sa Brian Mishara, president i den internasjonale foreningen for selvmordsforebygging. (...)

De mener selvmordstallene kunne blitt kraftig redusert om verdens land var flinkere til å begrense tilgjengeligheten av gift, våpen og medikamenter. (...)

More People Die From Suicides Than Wars And Murders
allheadlinenews.com 8.9.2006
(...) According to Bertolote, about 30 percent of suicides worldwide are a result of pesticides.

Dentists, veterinarians and doctors are considered high risk because they have access to deadly chemicals and know how to use them. (...)

UN urges prevention of 1 million deaths by suicide a year 's New This Week
rawstory.com 8.9.2006
- Health organizations said Friday that mental illness is the leading cause of more than 1 million suicide deaths a year - a number even higher than the combined fatalities from conflicts and natural disasters. Those organizations, which include the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), called on governments to show political resolve in improving health care systems to prevent suicide.

On October 10, the UN plans to hold its 14th annual World Mental Health Day, which will gather over 100 countries to conduct public awareness, education and advocacy events to prevent suicides.

Health officials said depression and schizophrenia are the two most serious mental illnesses that lead to suicide in both poor and rich countries.

WHO said 90 per cent of suicides resulted from a mental illness, or abuse of alcohol or drugs. (...)

Selvmord etter fengselsopphold
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2006; 126 (7.9.2006)
Personer som nylig er sluppet ut fra fengsel har økt risiko for å begå selvmord. En studie fra Storbritannia viser at forekomsten det første året etter løslatelse er økt åtte ganger hos menn og hele 35 ganger hos kvinner i forhold til raten i befolkningen for øvrig (Lancet 2006; 368: 119 - 23). Den økte forekomsten gjaldt alle aldersgrupper. De fleste selvmordene skjedde i løpet av de første ukene i frihet.

Innsatte har mer rusproblemer og høyere forekomst av psykiske lidelser enn andre. Tallene er derfor ikke overraskende, men forfatterne peker på ansvaret som fengselsmyndighetene og sosial- og helsevesenet har for å forhindre selvmord blant nylig løslatte. (...)

Det uforklarlige selvmordet
aftenposten.no 5.9.2006
VIGDIS SONGE-MØLLER, Professor i filosofi, Universitetet i Bergen
(...) Ikke psykisk lidelse.
Blant forskere er det en viss uenighet om hvor mange prosent av selvmordene som ikke skyldes psykisk lidelse. De fleste hevder 10 %, andre 20 %, mens andre hevder det er noe mer.

Det betyr at det i Norge, hvor det begås mellom 500 og 600 selvmord i året, kan være mellom 50 og 150 mennesker som årlig tar sitt liv av andre grunner enn psykisk sykdom. Disse ser ikke ut til å ha noen særlig plass i den dominerende psykiatriske diskursen. Det er min opplevelse at de blir tabuisert. (...)

Depression Weighs Heaviest on the Elderly
paktribune.com 26.8.2006
ISLAMABAD: As crippling as depression can be for young and middle-age adults, it’s truly severe in the elderly, and more often fatal.
And while depression and related illnesses afflict 20 percent of America’s elderly, only a fraction are getting the treatment they need.
"Depression kills not just through suicide," says Barry Lebowitz, director of treatment research at the National Institute of Mental Health. "[Elderly] people can be so debilitated by depression that they are not managing their hypertension or diabetes or they are not eating right. People die from the sort of excess disability that is created by depression in the context of other diseases." (...)

Suicide-Prevention Tactics Promising, But Lack Data
Psychiatr News, 2006:41(15):5 (August 4)
There are a number of initiatives school administrators can adopt to help decrease suicides among teens, but experts say that strong, proven links to their efficacy are yet to be identified. (...)

Suicide admissions rise, but deaths fall
stuff.co.nz 2.8.2006
Fewer people are dying by their own hand but more are ending up in hospital after attempting suicide, new figures show.

Suicide Trends, released by the Health Ministry yesterday, details patterns in suicide and attempts over the 20 years from 1983 to 2003.

While self-inflicted deaths rose from 465 in 2002 to 526 in 2003, three-yearly averages show suicide death rates have dropped by 15 per cent since the mid to late 1990s.

However, the number of people being admitted to hospital for suicide attempts has increased nearly 24 per cent since the mid-1980s. (...)

- Best til å forebygge selvmord
helserevyen.no 21.7.2006
Mental Helse mener de frivillige organisasjonene og de pårørende må trekkes inn i arbeidet med å forebygge selvmord. (...)

Suicide in recently released prisoners: a population-based cohort study
Lancet 2006; 368:119-123
(...) Interpretation
Recently released prisoners are at a much greater risk of suicide than the general population, especially in the first few weeks after release. The risk of suicide in recently released prisoners is approaching that seen in discharged psychiatric patients. A shared responsibility lies with the prison, probation, health, and social services to develop more collaborative practices in providing services for this high-risk group. (...)

Selvmordsbølge blant bomullsdyrkere
dn.no 2.7.2006
Ni tusen indiske bomullsdyrkere har begått selvmord som følge av lave bomullspriser. Nå kommer staten med krisepakke. (...)

kal hindre masseselvmord
na24.no 1.7.2006
I India har tusenvis av bønder begått selvmord som følge av gjeld. Nå gis millioner for å holde dem i live.

I India er det mange tusen bønder som sliter med enorm gjeld i forhold til deres inntektsgrunnlag. Dette har ført til at mange tusen har begått selvmord i ren desperasjon ettersom de ikke klarer å betale den tilbake. (...)

Amerikanske forskere: Lykkepiller redder liv
berlingske.dk 16.6.2006
Lykkepiller bliver sat i forbindelse med forøget risiko for selvmord. Men i en ny undersøgelse når forskere frem til, at lykkepiller ser ud til at redde langt flere menneskeliv, end de tager.

Selvom lykkepiller forøger risikoen for selvmord, så forebygger de formentligt flere selvmord, end de forårsager. Sådan lyder budskabet fra amerikanske forskere, der i en ny undersøgelse ser nærmere på, i hvilket omfang forbruget af de såkaldte SSRI-piller har påvirket omfanget af selvmord i USA i årene 1988-2002. (...)

I en kommenterende artikel i Public Library of Science Medicine advarer australske psykiatere mod at forbinde færre selvmord med flere lykkepiller.
Det samme gør psykiatriprofessor Lars Kessing fra Rigshospitalet.
»Jeg mener, man bør være meget forsigtig med at konkludere, at fordi der bliver solgt mere medicin, så er der færre selvmord,« siger han og tilføjer, at der kan være mange andre forklaringer på udviklingen i antallet af selvmord. (...)

SSRI Antidepressants Have Slashed Suicides, Study Finds
foxnews.com 13.6.2006
Antidepressants Linked to Decline in Suicides
Far from increasing suicide risk, SSRI antidepressants have saved thousands of lives since they became available in the U.S. in the late 1980s, according to findings from a new study.

Researchers estimate that after the availability of the new generation of drugs for depression, there were 33,600 fewer suicide deaths than would have otherwise been expected between 1988 and 2002. They use mathematical probability modeling to come up with the figure.

Researcher Julio Licinio, MD, who led the study while at UCLA, is now chairman of the department of psychiatry and behavioral science at the University of Miami’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

“The overall message is that on a population level these drugs are safe,” he tells WebMD. “They have been prescribed in huge numbers and suicides have been going down.”

Fourteen-Year Decline
The study joins a growing body of research challenging claims that the widely-prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are linked to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Researchers analyzed suicide data from the CDC and the U.S. Census Bureau from the early 1960s until 2002. They looked at deaths from suicides and did not include suicidal behaviors or suicidal feelings or thoughts in their analysis.

They found that while suicide rates remained fairly steady for the 15 years prior to introduction of Prozac (fluoxetine) in 1988, they dropped steadily over the next 14 years as sales of the drug increased.

Prozac was the first SSRI antidepressant to be sold in the U.S. and it is still the most widely prescribed antidepressant. Sales of Prozac skyrocketed from 2.5 million prescriptions in 1988 to around 33 million in 2002.

The study reports that between 12.7 and 13.7 suicides occurred among every 100,000 people in the U.S. from the early 1960s until 1988. Suicides steadily declined after that to a low of 10.4 per 100,000 in 2000.

Licinio and colleagues developed a mathematical model designed to estimate the impact of SSRI use on suicides. Based on suicide figures prior to the introduction of the antidepressants, the researchers concluded that there was a cumulative decrease in expected suicides of 33,600 from 1988 through 2002.

Early Monitoring Important
While the findings suggest SSRI use has resulted in a decrease in suicides among the population at large, they say nothing about whether the drugs pose a risk for specific subpopulations of users.

Seattle-based psychiatrist Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH, tells WebMD that it would take much larger studies than are likely to be performed to answer that question. Simon is a researcher for Group Health Cooperative, a nonprofit private insurer in the Pacific Northwest.

Other studies have suggested that if there is an increase in suicide risk associated with SSRI use, it is greatest in the early days and weeks of treatment. For that reason, the FDA has called for close monitoring of newly-treated patients.

Simon agrees that close monitoring is important -- but not because the antidepressants are dangerous. Rather, it is important, he says, because finding an antidepressant that works often takes time.

“Unfortunately, many people who start taking these drugs stop within a week or so because they don’t seem to be working,” Simon says.

Careful early monitoring could boost the effectiveness of antidepressant treatments from 40 percent to 50 percent up to around 75 percent, he says.
Closer monitoring of patients when they start SSRIs is a positive outcome of the suicide-risk controversy, Licinio says.

“It used to be that people were put on these drugs and told to come back in a few months, but that is not happening so much anymore,” Licinio says. “These drugs do change mood and behavior among very vulnerable people, so close monitoring is important.”

By Salynn Boyles, reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
SOURCES: Milane, M.S. PLoS Medicine, June 2006; vol. 3: online edition. Julio Licinio, MD, chairman, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami. Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH, psychiatrist and researcher, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle. (...)

(Anm: Modeling of the Temporal Patterns of Fluoxetine Prescriptions and Suicide Rates in the United States. PLOS Medicine 2006;3(6) (JUNE 2006).)

Study questions if drugs raise suicide risk
reuters.com 12.6.2006
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A study raises questions about whether newer antidepressant drugs raise the risk of suicide as some studies have suggested by finding that suicide rates have dropped in the United States since the drugs were introduced, researchers said on Monday.

In fact, the use of the new SSRI antidepressants to treat depression has saved more than 30,000 lives, according to the study published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

"Our findings certainly suggest that the introduction of SSRIs has contributed to reduction of suicide rates in the United States," Dr. Julio Licinio of the University of Miami said in a statement.

"However, the findings do not preclude the possibility of increased risk of suicide among small populations of individuals," Licinio added.

Millions of Americans use antidepressants, which include Pfizer Inc.'s Zoloft, GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Paxil and Eli Lilly and Co.'s Prozac.

Prozac, or fluoxetine, was the first SSRI, which stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration introduced "black box warnings" on the most popular SSRIs in 2004 after studies in the United States and Britain suggested the drugs may raise the risk of suicide in children and adults.

"Although the current issue concerning antidepressants and suicidality requires further examination, we believe that many more lives have been saved than lost since the advent of these drugs," the researchers wrote.

Licinio's team studied federal data to show the U.S. suicide rate held steady for 15 years prior to the introduction of Prozac in 1988, then dropped steadily over 14 years as sales of the antidepressant rose. The research team found the strongest effect among women.

Mathematical modeling of probable suicide rates from 1988 to 2002, based on pre-1988 data, suggests 33,600 fewer people have committed suicide since Prozac hit the market, Licinio said.

The actual suicide rates fluctuated between 12.2 and 13.7 suicides per 100,000 people until 1988, and then gradually fell to the lowest 10.4 per 100,000 in 2000, Licinio's team reported.

During that time prescriptions of fluoxetine ballooned from about 2.5 million in 1988 to more than 33 million in 2002.

"Much of the psychiatric community fears that the absence of treatment may prove more harmful to depressed individuals than the effects of the drugs themselves," said Licinio, who did the study while at the University of California Los Angeles.

"Most people who commit suicide suffer from untreated depression." (...)

APA: Female Suicides in U.S. Split Between Poison and Guns
medpagetoday.com 22.5.2006
Note that this study suggests there are national variations in the rates and methods women use to commit suicide, and knowledge of those variations may be useful for clinicians attempting to treat suicidal women.

This study was published as an abstract and presented orally at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary as they have not yet been reviewed and published in a peer-reviewed publication. (...)

Uproar Over Film of Golden Gate Suicides
latimes.com 28.4.2006
A documentary that records almost two dozen leaps from the landmark bridge has generated praise and scorn for its maker. (...)

Raser mot selvmordsfilm
dagbladet.no 28.4.2006
Rundt 1300 mennesker har tatt livene sine ved å hoppe fra Golden Gate Bridge. Eric Steel filmet 20 av dem. (...)

Fler rapporterade självmord avslöjar bristande samarbete
dagensmedicin.se 29.3.2006
Ett kraftigt ökat antal anmälningar om självmord inom vården avslöjar brister i samarbetet mellan den psykiatriska slutenvården och öppenvården.
Sedan den 1 juli i fjol har sjukvården gjort 84 lex Maria-anmälningar om självmord i samband med vård. Det är en kraftig ökning jämfört med tidigare år. Under 2004 gjordes 56 sådana anmälningar och under hela fjolåret 77 stycken.

Sedan Socialstyrelsen aviserade ändrade föreskrifter, som innebär en skärpning av anmälningsplikten av självmord, har sjukvården börjat anmäla i allt högre grad. Föreskriften började gälla den 1 februari i år, och gäller all sjukvård. Den säger att anmälan ska göras om patientens självmord sker i samband med vård eller upp till två veckor efter vårdtillfället.

Därför kommer nu även anmälningar från hemsjukvården och somatiska kliniker. Den utökade anmälningsplikten innebär att Socialstyrelsen nu får kännedom om flera självmord som annars inte skulle ha rapporterats.

Hittills har Socialstyrelsen fattat beslut i 20 av de 84 lex Maria-ärenden om suicid som anmälts från i somras och fram till i slutet av förra veckan. Dagens Medicin har läst 16av besluten.

Brister i journalföringen
I flera fall får sjukvården kritik för brister i framför allt journalföring och adekvat bedömning av patientens suicidrisk. Socialstyrelsen påpekar att sjukvården ska ta olika skattningsskalor till hjälp för att öka precisionen i bedömningen av risken för självmordsförsök. Samarbetet mellan slutenvård och öppenvård är ett annat återkommande problem. Här krävs att verksamheterna ser över de rutiner som finns för samverkan. Dessutom behöver de olika verksamheterna enkelt kunna ta del av varandras journaler.

I ett fall har patienten kort efter utskrivning från psykiatrisk klinik ringt till en psykiatrisk jourmottagning där sjuksköterskan inte hade tillgång till patientens journal och därmed hade knapphändiga uppgifter. Sjuksköterskan upplyste patienten om att det var tveksamt om hon skulle få komma till mottagningen eftersom hon hade druckit alkohol. Kort efter samtalet med jourmottagningen tog patienten sitt liv. Socialstyrelsen ifrågasätter i sitt beslut lämpligheten i att avvisa alkoholpåverkade patienter.

Kartläggning påbörjas senare i år
12 av de 16 fall som Dagens Medicin har granskat gäller självmord utanför sjukhuset eller behandlingshemmets lokaler. De har ofta skett i samband med permission eller i anslutning till att patienterna har haft någon form av kontakt med sjukvården, blivit utskriven eller har en tid bokad för återbesök. I 9 av de 16 besluten undgår sjukvården kritik från Socialstyrelsen.

Gun Johansson, handläggare vid Socialstyrelsens tillsynsenhet i Örebro, är en av dem som propagerar starkast för att all sjukvård ska anmäla självmord.

- Det behövs en ökad uppmärksamhet på dessa patienter inom sjukvården som helhet. Den utvidgade anmälningsskyldigheten visar att sjukvårdens olika verksamheter behöver bli bättre på att samarbeta om patienter med suicidrisk, säger hon.

Socialstyrelsen kommer senare i år att börja en kartläggning av vad den nya föreskriften har inneburit. (...)

Høy selvmordsrisiko blant leger og sykepleiere
helserevyen.no 27.4.2006
Leger og sykepleiere er blant de yrkesgruppene som er mest utsatt for selvmord i Norge. Forebygging krever at noen ser signalene når kolleger sliter med selvmordstanker på jobben.

Hvert år velger opp mot 600 mennesker å ta sitt eget liv i Norge. De yrkesgruppene som er mest utsatt er leger, sykepleiere, veterinærer, skogsarbeidere og politifolk, ifølge stami.no.

- Det er flere årsaker til dette, men psykiske belastninger i arbeidet kan være en årsak. Eksempler på dette kan være tungt ansvar, vanskelige avgjørelser, uløselige konflikter, stadige omstillinger, stress, mobbing, vold, sterke følelsesmessige påkjenninger og arbeid hvor en må forholde seg til menneskelig lidelse, sier Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum ved Statens arbeidsmiljøinstitutt (STAMI). (...)

Arbeidsforhold og selvmordsrisiko
stami.no 25.4.2006
Noen yrkesgrupper har høyere forekomst av selvmord enn andre yrkesgrupper. Psykiske belastninger kan være en årsak til dette. For disse yrkesgruppene er det viktig med større kunnskap om selvmord og selvmordsforebygging.

Hvert år dør dobbelt så mange mennesker i selvmord som i trafikkulykker, de fleste i yrkesfør alder. Yrkesgrupper som skogsarbeidere, leger, sykepleiere, veterinærer og politifolk har en høyere forekomst av selvmord enn andre yrkesgrupper. - Det er flere årsaker til dette, men psykiske belastninger i arbeidet kan være en årsak. Eksempler på dette kan være tungt ansvar, vanskelige avgjørelser, uløselige konflikter, stadige omstillinger, stress, mobbing, vold, sterke følelsesmessige påkjenninger og arbeid hvor en må forholde seg til menneskelig lidelse, sier Ingrid Sivesind Mehlum ved STAMI. (...)

Flere selvmord i svensk varetekt
aftenposten.no 17.4.2006
En økning i antall selvmord på varetektsceller i Sverige siden begynnelsen av 1990-tallet kan skyldes nye byggemetoder, ifølge Sveriges Radio. (...)

Halvparten av norske fanger har vurdert selvmord
hegnar.no 31.3.2006
Innsatte i norske fengsler lider i mye høyere grad av psykiske lidelser enn resten av befolkningen. (...)

En av to tenker på selvmord
aftenposten.no 31.3.2006
Allerede førsoning har halvparten av de innsatte tenkt på å ta livet av seg. Blant gjengangerne gjelder det hver åttende. (...)

Selvmordstruede menn blir oversett
psykiskhelse.no 2006(2)
– Helsevesenet er ikke gode nok til å oppdage depresjon tidlig hos menn. Dette kan være en av årsakene til at tre ganger så mange menn som kvinner tar sitt eget liv, sier professor Lars Mehlum. (...)

Redd lykkepiller tar flere liv
dt.no 28.1.2006
Landsforeningen for etterlatte ved selvmord reagerer sterkt på at lykkepiller som kan øke risikoen for selvmord, er i fritt omløp. (...)

RYSTET. - Et medikament der pasienten risikerer å øke risikoen for å begå selvmord, burde aldri vært sluppet ut på markedet uten å være tilstrekkelig utprøvet, sier leder for Landsforeningen for etterlatte ved selvmord i Buskerud, Eva Brekke Voss. (...)

- LITEN RESPEKT. Leder for Mental Helse i Drammen, Wenche Steenstrup, mener legemiddelindustrien driver et kynisk spill med pasientenes liv som innsats.

- Dette vitner om liten respekt for andre mennesker. Jeg blir opprørt over det jeg oppfatter som en nonchalant holdning overfor personer med psykiske lidelser. Her jobber vi hardt for at folk ikke skal begå selvmord, så skrives det ut medisiner som virker motsatt. Det er hårreisende og bekrefter bare hvor kynisk legemiddelindustrien er, påpeker Steenstrup.

Hun tror mange pasienter føler seg hjelpeløse i møtet med helsevesenet.
(...) - Det er legenes plikt å fortelle pasienten hvilke bivirkninger medisinen kan gi. For mange pasienter er det vanskelig nok å finne fram i vrimmelen av medikamenter. Jeg synes ikke slike medikamenter burde selges. Hva er vitsen med å ta en medisin som kan øke sjansene for å ta sitt eget liv, spør Steenstrup. (...)

Langt flere unge kvinder forsøger selvmord
politiken.dk 25.1.2006
stigende antal kvinder mellem 20 og 29 år forsøger at tage deres eget liv, når problemerne bliver for uoverskuelige. Den voldsomme udvikling bekymrer eksperter. Unge kvinder er ikke tidligere blevet betragtet som en risikogruppe. (...)

8.000 årlige selvmordsforsøg
Også socialminister Eva Kjer Hansen (V) er bekymret over udviklingen:

»Der er nu tre risikogrupper, som vi skal sætte særligt ind overfor. Det er de ældre mænd, dem med psykiatriske diagnoser og så de unge kvinder. Der må forskes i, hvorfor fænomenet opstår, så vi kan sætte rigtigt ind«, siger ministeren. (...)

Selvmordsveileder på nett
propaganda-as.no 17.1.2006
Norsk Presseforbund har utarbeidet en egen veileder for omtale av selvmord. Den utdypende veilederen er nå tilgjengelig på forbundets hjemmesider. (...)

Hospitalslæger begår oftest selvmord
bt.dk 5.1.2006
Det er de mandlige læger på de danske hospitaler som ligger øverst i selvmordsstatistikkerne. Risikoen for at de tager livet af sig selv er næsten tre gange så høj risiko som for en gennemsnitlig beskæftiget mand.

De står med livet i hænderne hver dag. Og ikke alle har lige let ved at håndtere det barske arbejde. Det viser nye tal fra Danmarks statitisk, som NORDJYSKE Stiftstidende bringer torsdag. (...)

Tre av ti blogger om psykiske lidelser
vg.no 31.12.2005

Japan Seeks To Reduce Suicide
cbsnews.com 27.12.2005
(AP) Japan will launch a nationwide study into suicide and provide more counselors and support services across the country as the government attempts to combat what it describes as an alarming rise in suicides.

The number of suicides in Japan hit 32,325 in 2004, the seventh straight year the figure has topped 30,000, according to National Police Agency records. The government hopes to reduce that by 5,000 by 2015, said Manabu Sumi, an official of the Mental Health and Welfare Division with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. (...)

58 utrykninger på 24 timer
tv2.no 29.12.2005
Gjennom 24 timer den første helgen i desember rykket politiet i Norge ut på hele 58 oppdrag som går under kategorien sykdom/psykiatri.
Dette er jobber opp mot personer som lider av psykiske lidelser.
Loggen vitner om mennesker med psykiske lidelser som ikke får nok hjelp, og familier rundt som også må lide. I tillegg til disse oppdragene har politiet fått en rekke telefoner som de ikke gjør noe med. Ofte er det snakk om ensomme personer som vil ha oppmerksomhet, og politiet klarer i mange tilfeller å snakke dem ned over telefonen.

Arne Johannessen i Politiets Fellesforbund har lest loggen som TV 2 Nettavisen har laget, og er ikke forundret. (...)

Katastrofer kan føre til selvmord
aftenposten.no 17.12.2005
Nordmenn som overlevde tsunamien har tatt livet sitt. Professor Lars Mehlum sier at sammenhengen mellom katastrofer og selvmord er kjent.

Tsunami-overlevende føler seg glemt
nrk.no 17.12.2005
Nordmenn som overlevde flodbølgekatastrofen, sliter med store traumer og føler at deres skjebne faller i skyggen av de som mistet noen for ett år siden, viser en undersøkelse NRK har gjort.

- Jeg har fått diagnosen post-traumatisk stress-syndrom, og sliter ganske mye. (...)

Selvmordstanker og mareritt
Undersøkelsen NRK har gjort, viser at flesteparten av de som har problemer i dag, opplever rastløshet og konsentrasjonsvansker. Mange har søvnproblemer og mareritt, og tåler ikke høye lyder. Noen av dem har vurdert å ta sitt eget liv. (...)

Selvmord må omtales varsomt
journalisten.no 25.11.2005
Som ventet vedtok hovedstyret i Norsk Presseforbund en ny selvmordsparagraf i Vær Varsom-plakaten på dagens møte. Det åpnes for omtale, men med varsomhet.

Det heter i den nye formuleringen: "Vær varsom ved omtale av selvmord og selvmordsforsøk. Unngå omtale som ikke er nødvendig for å oppfylle allmenne informasjonsbehov. Unngå beskrivelse av metode eller andre forhold som kan bidra til å utløse flere selvmordshandlinger".

- Det er altså ikke snakk om noe fritt fram, sier generalsekretær Per Edgar Kokkvold i Presseforbundet:

Han sier at man plikter å avveie informasjonsbehovet mot både personvernet og faren for "smitte", eller såkalt imiterende selvmordshandlinger. Her har styret valgt å følge klare råd fra fagmiljøene. (...)

- Sjefer gir ansatte selvmordstanker
nrk.no 15.11.2005
Dårlige sjefer kan gjøre ansatte så frustrerte at de vurderer selvmord på grunn av måten de behandles på, mener daglig leder Grace Beathe Mathisen i Arbeidslivstelefonen.

– Dårlige ledere fører til psykiske problemer, mer sykefravær og i de verste tilfellene til tanker om selvmord hos ansatte, sier Mathisen til Dagsavisen.

Før utgangen av året vil Arbeidslivstelefonen, som drives av Mental Helse Norge, ha mottatt om lag 1.500 samtaler.

Dette er dobbelt så mange som i fjor.

Sjefproblem dominerer
Om lag 70 prosent av samtalene dreier seg om dårlige sjefer og konflikter innringerne har med sine ledere. (...)

Selvmordsadfærd blandt 16 -35-årige danskere
Institut for Folkesundhed (Uge  43, 2005)
En ny undersøgelse viser, at særligt ni faktorer har selvstændig (statistisk signifikant) sammenhæng med tanker om selvmord og selvmordsforsøg (suicidal adfærd):

• at være enlig
• at have været udsat for trusler om vold
• at have været udsat for seksuelle overgreb
• at være daglig ryger
• ikke at gøre noget for at bevare eller forbedre eget helbred
• at have et dårligt psykisk helbred
• at have haft psykiske symptomer inden for de seneste 14 dage
• at have haft kontakt til psykolog inden for de seneste 3 måneder
• at have et stort sygefravær (kun erhvervsaktive).

At have selvmordstanker og/eller at forsøge på selvmord er alvorlige tegn på mistrivsel. Fra talrige undersøgelser ved vi, at selvmordstanker og selvmordsforsøg er en af de væsentligste risikofaktorer for fuldbyrdelse af selvmord. Ikke mindst derfor er det vigtigt at have kendskab til, om der er særlige sociale og helbredsmæssige forhold, man skal være opmærksomme på.

Gruppen med selvmordstanker eller selvmordsforsøg er generelt karakteriseret ved, at de har dårligere socialt netværk, dårligere levevilkår - i kraft af større arbejdsløshed og økonomiske problemer -, de har en usundere livsstil og føler sig generelt mindre raske og velbefindende, de gør mere brug af sundhedsvæsenet og har et højere sygefravær. (...)

Australian state and federal governments are attacked on mental health care
BMJ 2005;331:984 (29 October)
More than a decade of mental health reform in Australia has failed to translate into better services, a new report says. (...)

Erstatning etter selvmord på psykiatrisk avdeling
nrk.no 28.10.2005
Moren til en 19 år gammel kvinne som tok sitt eget liv på akuttpsykiatrisk avdeling på Lovisenberg sykehus i fjor, får nå erstatning.

19 år gamle Kathrine Skrindo klarte å ta sitt eget liv da hun var innlagt på Lovisenberg sykehus i desember.

Moren hennes, Torill Skrindo, mener de ansatte på sykehuset ikke gjorde jobben sin i forhold til datteren. (...)

Det er foreløpig ukjent hvor mye moren får i erstatning, men summen er ikke så viktig for henne. Det viktige er at hun har fått medhold.

Kathrines dødsfall granskes også av Fylkeslegen i Oslo.

Skrindos advokat Gunhild Lærum mener at erstatningen også må få betydning for Fylkeslegens granskning.

- Denne avgjørelsen gir jo et helt klart signal om at her har det blitt begått en feil, sier Lærum. (...)

Lovisenberg sykehus var i søkelyset også denne uken da en 38 år gammel kvinne ble siktet for drapsforsøk på sin fem år gamle datter.

Kvinnen var tidligere innlagt på sykehuset og politiet etterforsker oppfølgingen hun har fått, og helsetilsynet vil vurdere om det har vært rutinesvikt i saken.

Tone Herem sier det er leit med disse sakene, men at man ikke kan gardere seg fullt ut for at ikke noe skal gå galt i psykiatrien. (...)

Karakteristik af personer med selvmordstanker og selvmordsforsøg
netdoktor.com/dk 27.10.2005
Mennesker der lider af selvmordstanker eller har forsøgt selvmord er generelt karakteriseret ved, at de har dårligere socialt netværk og dårligere levevilkår.

En ny undersøgelse viser, at særligt ni faktorer har selvstændig sammenhæng med tanker om selvmord og selvmordsforsøg, derfor er det særlig vigtigt at have kendskab til, hvilke faktorer man skal være opmærksom på. (...)

Går inn for omtale av selvmord
propaganda-as.no 25.10.2005
Norske redaktører går inn for at man kan omtale selvmord i mediene. - Det kan være relevant, sier styrelder i Norsk redaktørforening, Marit Haukom.

På et styremøte i Norsk redaktørforening mandag kveld gikk norske redaktører inn for at man kan åpne for omtale av selvmord i mediene. Det innebærer en endring av Vær Varsom-plakaten, som hittil har anbefalt å ikke omtale selvmord i mediene.

Ifølge NRK har både etterlatte og journalister ønsket å endre dette punktet. Nå ønsker redaktørene at man omtaler det med med vær varsom-merking.

- Det kan være relevant å omtale selvmord i mediene, sier styreleder Marit Haukom i Redaktørforeningen. Hun mener det fortsatt er viktig at vi ikke omtaler metode. (...)

Helsefarlig selvmordsomtale
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2005; 125: 2757 (20.20.2005)
Journalister og helsepersonell må kjenne farene ved omtale av selvmord når pressens Vær Varsom-plakat nå skal revideres

Depression and suicide attempt as risk factors for incident unprovoked seizures
Annals of Neurology (10 Oct 2005)
Abstract
Major depression has been shown to increase the risk for development of epilepsy, but prior studies have not evaluated whether this is due to specific symptoms of depression. We conducted a population-based case-control study of all newly diagnosed unprovoked seizures among Icelandic children and adults aged 10 years and older to test the hypothesis that major depression is a risk factor for developing unprovoked seizure and epilepsy, and to address whether specific symptoms of depression account for this increased risk. Cases were matched to the next two same sex births from the population registry. Using standardized interviews, we ascertained symptoms of major depression to make a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnosis. A history of major depression was 1.7-fold more common among cases than among controls (95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.7). A history of attempted suicide was 5.1-fold more common among cases than among controls (95% confidence interval, 2.2-11.5). Attempted suicide increased seizure risk even after adjusting for age, sex, cumulative alcohol intake, and major depression or number of symptoms of depression. Major depression and attempted suicide independently increase the risk for unprovoked seizure. These data suggest that depression and suicide attempt may be due to different underlying neurochemical pathways, each of which is important in the development of epilepsy. (...)

Study links depression, suicide and seizures
reutershealth.com 14.10.2005
- Results of a study hint that the brain dysfunction that underlies epilepsy may also determine whether people are at risk for suicide. (...)

Although a link between depression and suicide and seizures has been previously documented, most studies did not address the time order of the association. Up until now it was assumed that suicide attempts occurred more often in patients with epilepsy because the disease increases the risk for depression.

To further evaluate this relationship, Dr. Dale C. Hesdorffer, from Columbia University in New York, and colleagues identified 324 individuals ages 10 years or older with unprovoked seizures or epilepsy first diagnosed between 1995 and 1999 and matched them by age and gender with 647 subjects drawn from an Icelandic population registry.

They used standardized interviews to gauge symptoms of major depression and "suicidality" that were present before the date of the first seizures.

In the Annals of Neurology, Hesdorffer and colleagues report that a history of major depression increased the risk of epilepsy. Moreover, people with epilepsy were four times more likely to have attempted suicide before ever having a seizure, even after other factors were taken into account linking drinking alcohol, having depression, age, and gender.

These data suggest that the brain dysfunction that underlies epilepsy may also increase the risk of suicide. The results also suggest that depression and suicidal behavior may be related to different mechanisms. (...)

SOURCE: Annals of Neurology October, 2005 (...)

Va. Violent Deaths Are Mostly Suicides
Washington Post 12.10.2005
Study Finds High Rate for Older Men
Suicides accounted for more than half of all violent deaths in Virginia in 2003, with the majority committed by white men with marital troubles and a history of depression, according to a state study to be published today. (...)

For example, the report could be helpful, Head said, for health care providers who regularly consult with senior citizens and at mental health centers. The greatest number of suicide victims had undergone treatment for mental illness or depression, while a significant number had substance abuse problems and had previously tried to kill themselves, according to the report. (...)

Mange selvmord i fengsler
Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2005 (17.11.2005)
I perioden 1978 - 2003 tok 1 312 menn sitt eget liv i fengsler i England og Wales. Det viser en studie publisert i The Lancet (2005; 366: 1301 - 2). Dette gir en standardisert mortalitetsratio på 5,1, det vil si fem ganger høyere blant innsatte enn i den øvrige befolkning. Raten økte i løpet av perioden. Særlig gutter i alderen 15 - 17 år var utsatt (mortalitetsratio 18).

Dette samsvarer med det som er funnet i mange andre land. To lederskribenter mener at de økende ratene viser at de innsatte har stadig dårligere mental helse (2005; 366: 1242 - 3). (...)

Suicides in male prisoners in England and Wales, 1978–2003
The Lancet 2005; 366:1301-1302 (8.10.2005)
Summary
The number of suicides in English and Welsh prisons is increasing, but the excess compared with the general population has not been reliably quantified. We therefore compared, in narrow age bands, all 1312 suicides of male prisoners in England and Wales between 1978 and 2003 with suicide rates in the general male population. The overall standardised mortality ratio for suicide was 5•1 (95% CI, 4•8–5•3), suggesting a five-fold excess of suicides in male prisoners, with a particulary striking excess in boys aged 15–17 years (standardised mortality ratio 18 [13–26]). The proportional excess of suicides of male prisoners has been increasing during the past quarter of a century, which underscores the need for substantial improvements in suicide prevention in prisons. (...)

Økt selvmordsrate ved kreft
Eline Feiring Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2005; 125: 2599 (6.10.2005)
Studier fra Norge, Sverige og Danmark viser at grupper av kreftpasienter har høyere selvmordsrate enn befolkningen for øvrig.
I løpet av det siste året er det publisert tre artikler om selvmordsforekomsten blant kreftpasienter i de nordiske landene. Først ute var norske forskere, som viste at for perioden 1960 - 99 var selvmordsraten noe forhøyet (1).

Nå har danske og svenske forskere gjort tilsvarende koblingsstudier mellom kreftregistrene og dødsårsaksregistrene i sine land (2, 3). Risikoen var høyere blant pasienter med dårlig prognose og høyest de første månedene etter at de hadde fått diagnosen. (...)

Hjelp av kognitiv terapi etter selvmordsforsøk
Eline Feiring Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 2005; 125: 2601 (6.10.2005)
Kognitiv terapi har en positiv effekt i oppfølgingen av personer som har forsøkt å begå selvmord. (...)

Vil ha medieomtale av selvmord
HegnarOnline 30.9.2005
Vær Varsom-plakaten sier at selvmord eller selvmordsforsøk som hovedregel ikke skal omtales. Dette endres nå.
Den gamle taushetsklausulen som hindrer omtale av selvmord i norske medier står for fall. Verdens helseorganisasjon (WHO) er positiv til utviklingen.

– Selvmordsproblemet er litt som hiv og aids. Hvis man ikke snakker om problemet får man heller ikke gjort noe med det, sier José Bertolote i Verdens helseorganisasjon til Vårt Land.

Bertolote, som er lege og arbeider med selvmordsproblematikk i WHO, understreker at mediene bør vise ansvarlighet i omtalen av selvmord. Det vil i så fall være i tråd med anbefalingene til et utvalg som arbeider med å revidere journalistenes Vær Varsom-plakat. (...)

Økt selvmordsfare blant barnevernbarn
Helserevyen 29.9.2005
Dødeligheten blant barnevernsbarn er dramatisk mye høyere enn blant andre barn. Faren for selvmord er åtte ganger høyere enn blant andre barn og unge. (...)

I barneverngruppen var det høy utbredelse av voldsomme dødsfall som trafikk- og andre ulykker, selvmord og drap.

• 150 av de 702 dødsfallene var selvmord. Det er åtte ganger flere selvmord enn det som er vanlig (16 per 10 000 mot 2 per 10 000 i den vanlige barnepopulasjonen).
• Gutter og personer med lav utdanning er mer utsatt enn kvinner og personer med fullført utdanning. (...)

Taushet kan drepe
Aftenposten 26.9.2005
Risikoen for selvmord, medisinering og smittefare blant innsatte i fengsler forblir ofte ukjent for de ansatte. Justisdepartementet vil nå lempe på taushetsplikten. (...)

Ansatte savner å få viktig kunnskap om hvilke medikamenter som benyttes av de enkelte innsatte - og eventuelle bivirkninger.

- I dag forhindres vi i en viss grad fra å forebygge selvmord og dødsfall gjennom overdoser. I andre tilfeller vil kombinasjonsbruk av medikamenter og amfetamin utløse en voldelig adferd, forklarer Svenkerud. Større kunnskaper vil bedre forståelsen for slike hendelser. (...)

Flere selvmordsforsøg i fængslerne
Politiken 25.9.2005
Antallet af selvmord i fængslerne stiger kraftigt, viser en ny opgørelse. Fængselsforbundet mener, at noget af stigningen skyldes overbelægning.

Mens antallet af selvmord i fængslerne har været nogenlunde konstant siden 2000, er antallet af selvmordsforsøg i samme periode steget markant.

Det fremgår af en opgørelse fra Folketingets Ombudsmand Hans Gammeltoft-Hansen. Han bliver løbende underrettet om og undersøger alle selvmord og selvmordsforsøg begået i fængslerne.

Sidste år landede 67 selvmords- og selvmordsforsøgssager på Ombudsmandens bord, mod 37 i 2003 og 40 i 2002. I år har tallet allerede passeret 44. (...)

Shock over prison suicide rates
BBC 14.09.2005
Men in prison are five times more likely to commit suicide than those in the general population, a Lancet online study has found.
Mental illness and overcrowding are possible explanations, the University of Oxford researchers suggested.

The analysis of suicide rates in England and Wales from 1978 to 2003 found the difference was particularly striking in 15- to 17-year olds.

Prisoners in that age group were 18 times more likely to kill themselves. (...)

More killed by suicide than war
BBC 8.9.2005
Nearly a million people take their own lives every year, more than those murdered or killed in war.

World Health Organisation figures show a suicide takes place somewhere in the world every 40 seconds.

The numbers are highest in Europe's Baltic states, where around 40 people per 100,000 commit suicide each year.

With World Suicide Prevention Day approaching on Friday, the WHO says the toll could be reduced with greater public awareness and political will.

"Suicide is a major public health problem and accounts for 1.5% of the total cost of disease to world society," said Jose Bertolote, mental health specialist at the WHO. (...)

Hasj øker faren for selvmord
Aftenposten 10.8.2005
Et australsk forskningsprosjekt gjort blant eneggede tvillinger, viser at langvarig bruk av hasj kan øke risikoen for selvmord. Forskere undersøkte depresjon, selvmordstanker og selvmordsforsøk hos eneggede tvillinger, der bare den ene var bruker av hasj over lengre tid skriver Tidsskrift for norsk Psykologforening .

Det viste seg at både tanker og ønsker om selvmord, samt reelle selvmordsforsøk var vesentlig høyer i hasjgruppen. Graden av depresjon var imidlertid ikke særlig høyere blant de hasjrøykende tvillingene. Hypotesen er at hasj på en eller annen måte bidrar til en mer likegyldig holdning til livet. (...)

Dobling av selvmord i psykiatrien
Aftenposten 7.8.2005
Antallet som begår selvmord mens de er under psykiatrisk behandling er trolig dobbelt så høyt som helsemyndighetene tidligere har trodd. (...)

- Innsatsen og oppmerksomheten er blitt mindre enn den skulle ha vært. Liv kan ha gått tapt på grunn av manglende erkjennelse av at systemet ikke er godt nok, sier hun. (...)

I første halvår i år har mellom 30 og 40 mennesker endt sine liv mens de var innlagt på psykiatriske sykehus eller var til poliklinisk behandling.

- Ikke å melde i fra er lovbrudd, sier Geir Sverre Braut, assisterende direktør i Helsetilsynet. Årsaken til at han ser alvorlig på at helsemyndighetene ikke har kjent omfanget av selvmordene før nå er todelt:

- Å få korrekte data er viktig for oss, fordi det gir grunnlag for å oppdage og følge opp behandlingssvikt. (...)

- Men enda viktigere er slike meldinger for helsevirksomheten selv. Den må bruke enhver hendelse til å se nærmere på egne rutiner og hvordan de vurderer situasjoner, sier Braut. (...)

Risken för självmordsförsök minskade efter kognitiv terapi
Netdoktor.se 4.8.2005
Risken att begå självmord är cirka 40 gånger högre om man redan gjort ett försök innan. Ny forskning visar att en person som har försökt att begå självmord och sedan behandlats med kognitiv beteendeterapi löpte hälften så hög risk att göra ett nytt försök som den som fått konventionell vård. I studien ingick 120 personer och efter en uppföljningstid på 18 månader försökte 24,1 procent i terapigruppen åter begå självmord jämfört med 41,6 procent i den andra gruppen. Graden av depression var också lägre i terapigruppen. (...)

Cognitive therapy reduces the frequency of further suicide attempts
JAMA 2005;294:2005;294:563-570 (August 3, 2005)
Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years in the United States. Several studies have shown that one of the strongest risk factors for completed suicide is a history of previous attempts. Attempted suicide is much more common than completed suicide and so provides an opportunity to intervene in a high risk group. (...)

FILM PUTS FOCUS ON NYU SUICIDES
NEW YORK POST 25.7.2005
A New York City filmmaker, intrigued by the chilling series of death leaps that shocked the NYU campus a year ago, has made a documentary that explores depression and suicide among college-age youths - and the pharmaceutical industry's sometimes questionable efforts to combat them. (...)

Pesticide-like Poisoning from a Prescription Drug.
N Engl J Med 2005;353:317-318 (July 21. 2005)
To the Editor: Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors have long been known for their use as pesticides. Since the 1990s, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting pharmaceuticals (donepezil, tacrine, galantamine, and rivastigmine) have been used to treat Alzheimer's disease; they are currently being investigated as a treatment for dementia associated with Parkinson's disease in adults1 and with Tourette's syndrome and autistic and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders in children.2,3 Wider use of this class of medications for a broader variety of disorders increases the possibility of pesticide-like poisoning from a prescribed medication. We report a case of such poisoning. (...)

Åtte selvmord ved psykiatrisk avdeling
nrk.no 30.5.2005
Sykehuset Østfold skal granske et høyt antall selvmord blant pasientene.

Det uroer ledelsen ved sykehuset Østfold at så mange som åtte av deres pasienter ved psykiatrisk avdeling i fjor valgte å gjøre slutt på livet, mens de ennå var innlagt. (...)

India's suicide epidemic is blamed on the British
Independent 16.5.2005
Trade reforms backed and funded by the British Government have caused an agricultural crisis in India which has sparked an epidemic of suicide among impoverished farmers, a leading charity claims today.

More than 4,000 farmers have killed themselves in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh since a programme of free-market measures was implemented by a "hardline liberalising regime" with the help of a £1.65m grant from the Department for International Development (DfID).

A study for Christian Aid claims that the dramatic increase in the suicide rate, which saw 2,115 farmers take their lives last year compared with 588 in 2003, is directly linked to British support for policies joining aid to economic liberalisation in developing economies. (...)

Among the methods of suicide chosen by victims has been to drink the pesticide they hoped would transform their economic prospects. (...)

Selvmord i Norge, nordiske og baltiske land: Samlet oversikt over figurer/tabeller tilgjengelig i pdf og powerpoint.
med.uio.no (2005)

"Lykkepiller" til børn frikendt for at udløse selvmord
berlingske.dk 24.3.2006
Stik imod Lægemiddelstyrelsens advarsel frikender en dansk undersøgelse "lykkepiller" for at kunne udløse selvmord hos børn og unge.

Ifølge en ny dansk undersøgelse behøver forældre og læger ikke frygte for livstruende bivirkninger hos børn og unge.

Det siger afdelingslæge Lars Søndergård, Rigshospitalet, som er en af forskerne bag en ny dansk undersøgelse, der viser, at antidepressiv medicin med den populære betegnelse "lykkepiller" ikke udløser selvmord hos børn og unge.
Ifølge Dagens Medicin går forskningen dermed imod Lægemiddelstyrelsens advarsel om, at medicinen kan føre til selvmordsadfærd og -tanker hos børn og unge.

- Hvis det er sådan, at lykkepiller driver børn og unge til selvmord, som det har heddet i pressen, burde man forvente, at der kom flere selvmord i perioden, men det gør der ikke. Det er et ret stærkt resultat, siger Lars Søndergård. (...)

Survey Paints Bleak Picture of Health Insurance Coverage and Premiums
Psychiatr Serv 55:1192-1193 (October 2004)
(...) In 2003, U.S. physicians wrote 15 million antidepressant prescriptions for patients under age 18, according to FDA data. In the first six months of 2004, antidepressant prescriptions for children increased by almost 8 percent, despite the new drug labeling. (...)

Lawsuit filed for suicide responsibility
eacourier.com 30.8.1999
(...) Baskins suffered "intense" side effects including extreme agitation, acute paranoia and insomnia, according to the lawsuit, as well as a psychiatric disorder called akathisia, he simply couldn't sit still. (...)

The attorneys said that about 2,000 cases of suicidal and otherwise violent behavior in people taking SSRIs have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration. (...)