Resource Types: Report

Picture This is a guide for creators in the entertainment industry which addresses issues within the realm of depression and suicide prevention, as identified by mental health experts, advocates, policy-makers, and others working to improve public awareness about and reduce instances of depression and suicide.

This report was released at a symposium titled “Through native eyes: Identity, perception and recognition”. The report finds additional evidence that American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas face major hurdles in reaching health status similar to their fellow Americans. Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national telephone survey conducted yearly and coordinated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show American Indians and Alaska Natives living in selected urban areas were more likely to report difficulty accessing health care, had higher rates of risk behavior, and experienced worse health outcomes than the general population. Income differences were shown to play a role in explaining some of the health disparities, but differences in some reported health indicators were not income dependent.

MMWR. April 11, 2008; 57(14):361-366. This report summarizes the results of CDC analysis of data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)for 2004–2005. The report indicates that: prevalence of self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) in 17 U.S. states ranged from 11.7% (Maine) to 20.4% (New Mexico); younger women, those with lower educational attainment, and women who received Medicaid benefits for their delivery were more likely to report PDS.

MMWR. April 11, 2008; 57(SS03):1-43,45. This report, for the first time since the creation of NVDRS, summarizes and examines data on nearly 16,000 violent deaths occurring in 16 states surveyed by the system in 2005. The majority (56.1%) of deaths were suicides, followed by homicides and deaths involving legal interventions (29.6%).

This report prepared for members and committees of congress discusses data and risk and protective factors for suicide in the general population and among veterans. Suicide prevention efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs are also discussed.

This report discusses the value of using high-quality E-coding to collect data in state-based morbidity data systems. The report also provides recommendations on: improving communication regarding E-coding among stakeholders; enhancing the completeness and accuracy of E-coding; and making E-coded data more useful for injury surveillance and prevention activities at the local, state, and federal levels.

This report summarizes the results of a CDC research study conducted to document the key processes involved in developing successful state suicide prevention plans. While the results of this study do not provide a universal blueprint for suicide prevention, the insights garnered provide states with valuable information for effective planning, implementation, and evaluation.

This brief highlights existing national data about adolescent mental health status, assesses shortcomings of current data and offers recommendations to address these limitations.

This report highlights the need for better recognition of youth suicide risk factors. The authors studied the files of 81 Canadian (B.C.) children, aged 12-18, who died by suicide between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2007. More than two-thirds of these children had exhibited previous suicidal behavior, and most had reached out to someone for help before their deaths.

The third annual report on the New Jersey Patient Safety Act. Includes statistics on suicides and suicidal behaviors in New Jersey hospitals: “The percentage of events related to suicide/attempted suicide has doubled since 2005. The number of suicide events reported increased from 16 in 2005 to 35 in 2007.”