Mental Health Roundup: PTSD From 9/11, Inmate Suicides, Facebook Bans, And More
Mental health takes center stage on World Suicide Prevention Day.
The New York Times:
She Fled The 68th Floor. She’s Finally Dealing With 9/11 Trauma.
Kayla Bergeron can still describe that morning in matter-of-fact detail: She was dutifully working at her desk on the 68th floor when the building lurched. Someone ran in and said that a plane had hit — a small plane, she assumed. She realized it must not have been just a Cessna. And then how she began a harrowing descent in a stairwell that was dark and wet because pipes had burst as the twin towers collapsed. (Barron, 9/11)
Stateline:
Jeffrey Epstein’s Death Highlights Inmate Suicide Problem
One afternoon in August, six days after Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell, Christi Phillips received a troubling message. Her husband, Mike, who is serving time at a state prison in Valdosta, Georgia, overheard his cellmate talk about killing himself. Mike watched his cellmate inform an officer that he was suicidal. When that officer apathetically replied, “So am I,” Mike asked Christi to call a prison supervisor. “I’ll have somebody check on it,” the supervisor said. (Blau, 9/10)
Reuters:
Facebook Bans Self-Harm Images In Fight Against Suicide
Facebook Inc will no longer allow graphic images of self-harm on its platform as it tightens its policies on suicide content amid growing criticism of how social media companies moderate violent and potentially dangerous content. The social network also said on Tuesday self-injury related content will now become harder to search on Instagram and will ensure that it does not appear as recommended in the Explore section on the photo-sharing app. (9/10)
CNN:
Suicide Prevention Day: How To Help Someone Who Is Suicidal
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between ages 10 and 24. That's much higher than the general population where it's the 10th leading cause of death according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's important to recognize the potential warning signs when someone intends to end their life as laid out here from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (Dawson, 9/10)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Ohio Psychiatric Crisis Services Get $21 Million More In State Funding
New funding in Ohio’s budget will expand resources for psychiatric crisis services across the state, like Stella Maris, helping those struggling with addiction and mental health emergencies. An additional $20.75 million in Gov. Mike DeWine’s biennium budget is targeted for expanding psychiatric crisis services networks and for providing clinical services and psychosocial supports such as transitional housing after hospitalization or home-based mental health services for families. (Christ, 9/10)
The Washington Post:
Jarrid Wilson, A Megachurch Pastor Known Widely For His Mental Health Advocacy, Dies By Suicide
Jarrid Wilson, a California church leader, author and mental health advocate, died by suicide Monday evening at age 30. Wilson, known as a passionate preacher, most recently was an associate pastor at megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. A co-founder of the mental health nonprofit Anthem of Hope, Wilson was open about his depression, often posting on his social media accounts about his battles with the mental illness. (Stone, Miller and Molina, 9/10)
Arizona Republic:
Police Officer Mental Health Evaluations Changed After Craig Tiger Suicide
Tiger would live another year after his foiled suicide attempt. His death served as a catalyst for the Phoenix Police Department, forcing it to take a closer look at post-traumatic stress disorder and the resources provided to officers after an on-duty shooting. (Burkitt, 9/11)
