MEDIA ALERT: World-renowned experts in suicide prevention to meet this week

American Association of Suicidology’s 36th Annual Conference to be held April 23-26 in Santa Fe, NM

The conference will take place at the La Fonda on the Plaza and The Inn at Loretto Hotels in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hundreds of attendees from across the U.S. and more than a dozen other countries will come together to collaborate on how to reduce suicide rates among diverse populations. New research and informational updates will be delivered by world-renowned experts on topics such as suicide in teens and college students, the elderly, minority groups, substance abusers, those with gambling addictions, police and emergency workers, mothers grappling with postpartum depression and others.

The following key issues – many of these the topic of news coverage in recent months – are among those slated for discussion at the conference:

• Suicide among the incarcerated including juveniles, and incarceration of mentally ill

• Suicide on college campuses; the impact of suicide prevention education and screening in schools

• Dealing with mentally ill as a rising challenge for police officers

• Neurochemistry and mental illness as an indicator for suicide

• Parity in health insurance for mental health treatment coverage

• Suicidality as a response to serious physical illness

• Primary care physicians as gatekeepers in assessing risk for suicide

• Male resistance to help seeking, and the consequence of an intolerably high rate of suicide among men versus women

• State financial crises and cutbacks in mental health coverage and their impact on those who may be suicidal

• Tracking of suicide attempts nationwide – "an absolutely crucial issue," say experts, but one that is not in place currently, and an issue that has very serious public policy implications, according to experts

• Occupational stressors, depression, suicide and workplace "burnout syndrome"

• The date rape drug GHB and dangers of unsupervised withdrawal, which can lead to suicide

Journalists are asked to please note the following timing for conference-related programming:

• Major conference symposia, papers and poster sessions: April 24-26

• Media breakfast briefing: April 24 from 7-8 a.m. in conference press room

• Pre-conference workshops: April 23

• Healing After Suicide Conference for survivors of suicide: April 26

For journalists who cannot be in Santa Fe to cover this conference, AAS Public Affairs staff would be happy to assist by sending out materials from the conference site or arranging for telephone interviews with key presenters. To request this assistance, contact Denise Pazur, AAS Public Affairs, at 920-207-8747, or call the the La Fonda Hotel at 505-982-5511 and ask for the Board Room.

The American Association of Suicidology (AAS), based in Washington, DC, is the oldest and largest scientific and professional organization in the United States representing the field of suicide prevention and suicidology (the study of suicide). Founded in 1968, AAS works to advance an understanding of suicide, its causes and its prevention, through researching and implementing strategies for reducing risk of suicide among all populations. The organization publishes the oldest peer-reviewed journal in suicidology, "Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior." AAS has a diverse membership base that includes researchers, clinicians, educators, public health specialists, crisis workers, students, and "survivors of suicide," that is, those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

Through its five divisions, AAS works to forge public and private partnerships that will increase the focus on suicide as a public health issue and best practices in suicide prevention. Fore more information about AAS, its membership, mission and the 36th Annual Conference of the American Association of Suicidology, visit http://www.suicidology.org.