All of us have seen the dramatic images of the recent Taliban capture of Kabul. While the mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq will continue, many Americans are eagerly seeking explanation of the rapid-moving complex events surrounding the end of the war in Afghanistan.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This is a very important topic that touches many individuals around the world. In addition to our existing resources on suicide prevention, we will be have a series of blogs on the topic. We also invite you to watch a recording of this month's CDP Presents webinar, "Suicide Prevention from Elite Athletes to High Performance Military." This 90-minute presentation helps viewers learn more about suicide prevention efforts as it relates to elite athletes and those in high-performance roles.
Our profession continues to bend and shape to meet the needs of clients amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one concern taking up space in most mental health professionals’ minds is how the pandemic will impact suicide risk. The conventional wisdom is that the associated life stressors, relational challenges, and greater access to firearms due to a surge in sales all may lead to a perfect storm whereby more people will be at risk of dying by suicide.
The weekly Research Update contains the latest news, journal articles, useful links from around the web. Some of this week's topics include:
● Better off with you: Exploring congruity between caregivers’ and Veterans’ experience of efforts to cope with suicide.
● An examination of department of defense environmental factors that contribute to reporting sexual harassment.
● Military identity and planning for the transition out of the military.
● Shorter and longer-term risk for non-fatal suicide attempts among male U.S. military veterans after discharge from psychiatric hospitalization.
Of the total number of veterans with suicidal ideation, the percentage of those who are not engaged in mental health treatment, according to an article recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry -- Prevalence, Correlates, and Treatment of Suicidal Behavior in US Military Veterans: Results From the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study