News & Highlights

This section presents news and highlights from SPRC and the suicide prevention field. Use the filters on the left to find the following items:

  • Weekly Spark, SPRC’s online newsletter, containing brief news articles, research summaries, announcements, and funding opportunities. Subscribe to the Weekly Spark.
  • Director’s Corner, a monthly column by SPRC leadership and guest authors.
  • From the Field, innovative activities being implemented in states, communities, healthcare organizations, and other settings.

Displaying 34 results. Refine results using the filters on the left.

Weekly Spark

Suicide Attempt Risk among U.S. Army Soldiers without a Mental Health Diagnosis

December 21, 2018
A recent study found that U.S. Army soldiers with and without a history of mental health diagnoses shared similar risk...
Weekly Spark

Suicide among Emergency Medical Technicians Compared to the General Public

December 07, 2018
Research has shown that suicide risk is higher among certain occupational groups, including law enforcement professionals and other public safety...
Weekly Spark

Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Attempted Suicide among Adolescent Inpatients

November 30, 2018
A recent study found that female and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) adolescents admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital...
Weekly Spark

Impact of Job Strain and Long Work Hours on Suicidal Ideation

November 16, 2018
Job strain and long work hours may be associated with suicidal ideation among middle-aged U.S. workers. Researchers used data on...
Weekly Spark

Safety Planning Intervention versus Usual Care

November 02, 2018
Emergency department patients with suicide-related concerns who received a brief intervention with telephone follow-up were less likely to engage in...
Weekly Spark

Shifting Beliefs about Suicide in the Construction Industry

October 26, 2018
Construction industry workers are at higher risk for suicide than many other occupational groups. This can be partly explained by...
Weekly Spark

Differences between Inmates Who Attempt and Die by Suicide

October 19, 2018
Suicide deaths among inmates are less likely to occur when correctional facility mental health staff are aware of their past...
Weekly Spark

Gun Storage Practices among U.S. Veterans

October 12, 2018
A national study found that one in three U.S. veteran gun owners stores at least one gun loaded and unlocked...
Weekly Spark

Causes of Death after Nonfatal Opioid Overdose

September 28, 2018
People who experience a nonfatal opioid overdose are at high risk for premature mortality in the following year, and are at...
Weekly Spark

Sexual or Gender Minority Status and Suicide Attempts among Veterans Seeking Treatment for Military Sexual Trauma

September 21, 2018
Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma and who identify as sexual or gender minorities are at increased risk for...
Weekly Spark

Survivors of Suicide Attempts

September 14, 2018
New findings suggest that an eight-week support group, Survivors of Suicide Attempts (SOSA), may help decrease suicidal symptoms and increase...
Weekly Spark

Characteristics of Crisis Line Users Who Died by Suicide

August 24, 2018
Among Northern Ireland’s crisis line users, receiving check-in calls and using the service for a longer duration may lower the...
Weekly Spark

Using Electronic Health Records to Predict Suicide Attempts and Deaths in Outpatient Care

August 17, 2018
Electronic health record data, combined with responses to self-report questionnaires, may be able to predict risk of suicide attempt and...
Weekly Spark

Firearms Storage in Homes with Children at Risk for Self-Harm

August 03, 2018
A national study found that about one-third of homes with children and firearms follow safe storage practices recommended by the...
Weekly Spark

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury among U.S. Adolescents

July 20, 2018
A study of high school students in 11 U.S. states found that nearly 18% had engaged in at least one...
Weekly Spark

Suicide Risk among Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Multiracial Youth

June 29, 2018
A national study found that Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI), American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and multiracial adolescents have...
Weekly Spark

Safety Measures to Prevent Railway Suicides and Trespassing Accidents

June 22, 2018
A systematic review of the literature on railway suicides and trespassing accidents found that despite more than 35 years of...
Weekly Spark

Suicide-Related Conversations on Instagram

June 15, 2018
Research suggests that suicide-related Instagram posts may not be adhering to best practices for preventing contagion (i.e., suicide risk associated...
Weekly Spark

The Role of Firearms in Rural-Urban Differences in Suicide in Maryland

June 01, 2018
A recent study found that Maryland’s rural-urban differences in suicide rates may be attributable to higher firearm suicide rates in...
Weekly Spark

Frequency of Prescription Opioid Abuse and Suicide Risk

May 25, 2018
National data indicate that abuse of prescription opioids weekly or more is associated with risk of suicidal ideation, and suicide...
Weekly Spark

Suicide among Mothers of Children Taken into Care by Child Protection Services

May 04, 2018
Mothers who have had a child taken into custody by Canada’s child protection services (CPS) are at increased risk for...
Weekly Spark

School Connectedness and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors

April 27, 2018
The role of school connectedness in protecting youth from suicidal thoughts and behaviors is well-documented, but research on this topic...
Weekly Spark

Classifying Drug Intoxication Deaths as Suicides

April 20, 2018
Compared to deaths by overtly violent methods, such as gunshot or hanging, drug intoxication deaths are more likely to be...
Weekly Spark

Suicide Risk after Intentional Self-Harm in Adolescents and Young Adults

April 13, 2018
Adolescents and young adults treated for nonfatal self-harm are at increased risk for suicide death. In this high-risk group, American...
Weekly Spark

Suicide Exposure: Perceptions of Impact and Closeness

March 30, 2018
People exposed to suicide are at greater risk for mental health symptoms if they perceive a high level of closeness...
Weekly Spark

Underreporting of Suicidal Ideation among U.S. Army Personnel

March 23, 2018
Suicide rates among active duty U.S. Army personnel have increased since 2004. In response, the U.S. military now assesses for...
Weekly Spark

Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among Court-Involved, Non-Incarcerated Youth

March 16, 2018
A recent study found that 14 percent of court-involved, non-incarcerated (CINI) youth have a lifetime history of suicidal ideation and/or...
Weekly Spark

Work-Related Perceptions and Suicide

March 09, 2018
Negative work-related perceptions can increase depression and suicidal ideation among employees, indirectly contributing to their risk for suicide attempts. This...
Weekly Spark

Interpersonal Violence and Suicide in Victoria, Australia

February 23, 2018
Research has shown a link between a history of exposure to interpersonal violence (IPV) and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts....
Weekly Spark

School-Based Mental Health Services and Suicide Risk

February 16, 2018
Recent findings from Oregon suggest that increasing the availability of mental health services in school-based health centers (SBHCs) may decrease...
Weekly Spark

Poison Center Call Trends

February 02, 2018
Recent trends indicate that U.S. poison centers are receiving more calls related to intentional exposures and fewer calls related to...
Weekly Spark

Lethal Means Counseling in Hospital Emergency Departments

January 26, 2018
A recent survey of discharge practices and protocols in hospital-based emergency departments revealed serious gaps in the provision of lethal...
Weekly Spark

Functional Impairment among Telephone Crisis Support Workers: Impact on Callers

January 19, 2018
Researchers sought to investigate the impact of functional impairment on telephone crisis workers’ ability to provide optimal support to callers....
Weekly Spark

A Look Back at Research Summaries in 2017

January 05, 2018
Suicide Attempts and Dying by Suicide—American Journal of Psychiatry Preventing Suicide in the Emergency Department—JAMA Psychiatry Suicide in the U.S....