In this cross-sectional study of high school students, implementation of total abortion bans was associated with increased suicidal ideation among female students, with similar but less precise estimates observed for suicide attempts. These findings suggest that the policies in these states may adversely influence female adolescents’ mental health and underscore the importance of accessible suicide prevention and mental health services in affected states.

First time mums in England who face care proceedings are 21 times more likely to die within 10 years of the birth than mums of the same age who don’t experience this, finds an analysis of family court proceedings, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. Nearly 3 out of 4 of these deaths were related to suicide, homicide, drugs/alcohol, and unintentional injuries, reflecting these women’s extreme health vulnerability, say the researchers. Better upstream support and family court reform are key to improving their health and curbing the need for care proceedings and potential loss of custody, argue the researchers.

This nationally representative study showed that 1 in 8 transition-age youth (TAY) had suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB), yet less than half of those with STB had any mental health care. Asian, Black, and Latine TAY experienced substantial access disparities, with treatment rates 14 to 21 percentage points lower than white peers. Despite all TAY having STB in the subsample in this study, the large service access differences suggest that structural barriers, rather than clinical appropriateness or patient preference alone, drive these inequities. 

More than 3000 Australians die by suicide each year, yet one of the strongest known drivers of suicide risk – unemployment – remains largely overlooked in Australia’s suicide prevention programs.

Women with HIV most often die from preventable, trauma-related conditions like substance use and mental illness — not the virus itself. Yet, these leading causes are largely missing from official death records, according to new research by UC San Francisco.

Content Warning: This press release contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs support, please use this link to find an international helpline: www.findahelpline.com.

Governments put up railings and barriers and regulate supplies of certain drugs to prevent people from dying by suicide. But other products associated with fatal self-harm, such as firearms, pesticides, and alcohol remain widely available and publicly promoted. The difference in approach to regulation needs to be addressed to make progress in preventing suicide, according to an analysis published June 10 in the open access journal PLOS Global Public Health by May van Schalkwyk from the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

The media deal with suicide using metaphors of war, illness or journeys. The focus must move away from the individual, to instead frame suicide as an issue of collective responsibility