Media awards for responsible reporting of suicide: Experiences from Australia, Belgium and Denmark

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Media awards to encourage responsible reporting of suicide have been introduced in several countries, including Australia, Belgium and Denmark.</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>This study aimed to examine the experiences of Australian, Belgian and Danish award recipients in preparing stories on suicide, and consider the impacts of the awards for these recipients and for media professionals more broadly.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with the majority (14 out of 15) of past recipients of the awards in the three countries of interest.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Media awards appear to show promise as a method of reinforcing national and international media guidelines on reporting suicide. The recipients of awards were proud to have had their achievements recognized in this way, and had developed a heightened awareness of the issues inherent in reporting suicide. Although relatively few had prepared subsequent stories on suicide, a number had been given opportunities to provide advice to other media professionals about how best to approach this sensitive topic. Recipients viewed the awards as an important means by which good quality reporting can be rewarded, and a springboard for raising community awareness about suicide.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The experience from Australia, Belgium and Denmark suggests that media awards which recognize responsible reporting of suicide are extremely worthwhile.</p

Treatment of Intrusive Suicidal Imagery Using Eye Movements

Suicide and suicidal behavior are major public health concerns, and affect 3–9% of the population worldwide. Despite increased efforts for national suicide prevention strategies, there are still few effective interventions available for reducing suicide risk. In this article, we describe various theoretical approaches for suicide ideation and behavior, and propose to examine the possible effectiveness of a new and innovative preventive strategy. A model of suicidal intrusion (mental imagery related to suicide, also referred to as suicidal flash-forwards) is presented describing one of the assumed mechanisms in the etiology of suicide and the mechanism of therapeutic change. We provide a brief rationale for an Eye Movement Dual Task (EMDT) treatment for suicidal intrusions, describing techniques that can be used to target these suicidal mental images and thoughts to reduce overall behavior. Based on the available empirical evidence for the mechanisms of suicidal intrusions, this approach appears to be a promising new treatment to prevent suicidal behavior as it potentially targets one of the linking pins between suicidal ideation and suicidal actions

Development, behaviour and autism in individuals with SMC1A variants

Introduction: Development and behaviour in Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), including autism characteristics, have been described infrequently stratified to genetic cause and only a few studies have considered behavioural characteristics in relation to developmental level. Here, we describe the behavioural phenotype in individuals with CdLS with SMC1A variants. Methods: We performed an international, interdisciplinary study on 51 individuals with SMC1A variants. Results of questionnaire studies are compared to those in individuals with Down Syndrome and with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Results on cognition and self-injurious behaviour (SIB) are compared to those in individuals with CdLS caused by NIPBL variants. For Dutch participants with SMC1A variants we performed direct in-person assessments of cognition, autism, and added an interview and questionnaire on adaptive behaviour and sensory processing. Results: Individuals with SMC1A variants show a higher cognitive level and less SIB than individuals with NIPBL variants. Individuals with SMC1A variants without classic CdLS phenotype but with a Rett-like phenotype show more severe intellectual disability and more SIB compared to those with a CdLS phenotype. Autism is less present if outcomes in direct in-person assessments are evaluated taking developmental level into account compared to results based on a questionnaire. Conclusions: Behaviour in individuals with CdLS should be evaluated taking genetic cause into account. Detailed interdisciplinary approaches are of clinical importance to inform tailored care and may eventually improve quality of life of patients and families

Allogeneic cord blood transfusions for extremely preterm neonates: an extremely promising proof of concept

Thrombosis and Hemostasi

The Peer Specialist:Opportunities for the Recovery of Suicidal Care Consumers

The emergence of peer specialists with a history of suicidality who work with suicidal care consumers is a recent phenomenon that increasingly receives attention in the field of suicide prevention. Peer specialists aim at: 1) Establishing a more open discussion of suicidality; 2) Enabling attempt survivors to share stories of recovery; 3) Transforming care, research and policies in suicide prevention, following a recovery-focused approach. A recovery-focused approach to suicidality advocates a person-centered, integrated mental healthcare delivery model, and a focus on the suicidal care consumer’s voice regarding the care they receive

Peer specialists in suicide prevention:Possibilities and pitfalls

The emergence of peer specialists with histories of suicidality in mental health care services is a recent but scarcely researched societal phenomenon. The current study aimed to explore how peer specialists who have experienced suicidality (either attempted suicide or suicidal ideation) use their experiences to contribute to suicide prevention in mental health care services. Qualitative interviews with 20 peer specialists who have personally dealt with suicidality in their past were conducted. Interviewees perceived their work to have unique value in terms of their approach to making contact with suicidal care consumers on an emotional level, which was perceived to lead to less reluctance on the part of suicidal care consumers to talk about suicidality, as well as affect feelings of being acknowledged and heard. However, the lack of professional distance was perceived to carry several risks, including burdening clients with the peer specialists' own suicidal experiences, perceived reluctance of coworkers to let peer specialists work with suicidal clients, and the burden of working with suicidal clients for the peer specialists. Specific conditions that were perceived to be needed in order to work with suicidal clients consisted of personal distance to own process of recovery and suicidality, establishing boundaries with the team or colleagues for the peer specialists' work concerning suicide risk assessment, safety, privacy, and sharing responsibility. Further discussion between mental health care clinicians and peer specialists regarding the role of the peer specialist in suicide prevention is needed to further clarify and optimize their role

Dysfunctional belief-based subgroups and inferential confusion in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Cognitive-behavioural models emphasize the mediating role of dysfunctional beliefs in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, recent studies indicated that beliefs related to responsibility and threat-estimation, Importance and Control of Thoughts, and perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty were not elevated in a substantial proportion of patients suffering from OCD. This study attempts to replicate these findings, and, in addition, explores the role of a cognitive process characteristic of OCD, i.e., inferential confusion. Participants suffering from OCD (n = 174), completed cognitive- and symptom measures. Cluster-analysis revealed a 2- and a 6-cluster solution, both which contained substantial low belief subgroups. The Perfectionism and Certainty beliefs cluster in the 6-cluster solution was distinct from the other high beliefs clusters, which is in line with the recently proposed distinction between harm related versus 'just right' related OC symptoms. Finally, the assessment of cognitive processes seems to have complimentary value in addition to assessing belief content, and therefore could further our understanding of OCD within a cognitive framework. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Further evaluation of the Dutch supervision system for suicides of mental health care users

Until recently, suicides of mental health care users in the Netherlands had to be reported to the Health Care Inspectorate by treating clinicians and medical directors. Interview data from 38 clinicians who reported a suicide and directors of the 28 facilities where they worked indicated ambivalence about the procedure's usefulness, especially about the blame implied by the required reporting procedure. No interviewee reported that a suicide could have been prevented. In May 2011 the national policy was changed so that most suicides can be reported in a blame-free manner within the facility and fewer suicides must be reported to the inspectorate