Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Police Commissioner Declares Mental Health Emergency As Spike In Officers' Suicides Continues
The Associated Press: Police Departments Confront 'Epidemic' In Officer Suicides
A rash of suicides by police officers has shaken the New York Police Department, leading the commissioner to declare a mental health emergency and highlighting the problem of untreated depression among law enforcement officers nationwide. ... The suicides have been a recurring nightmare for the nation’s largest police force and have driven a discussion about the psychological toll of police work, a profession in which discussing mental health was long seen as taboo. (Sisak and Mustian, 8/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Mayor Draws On Father’s Suicide In Dealing With Spike Among NYPD Officers
Mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to stem the spike in suicides among New York Police Department officers this year by speaking openly about his father’s suicide in urging them to seek help. The mayor talked about his family’s experience in a letter he sent to NYPD officers on Wednesday night, shortly before a longtime officer became the ninth member of the department to die by suicide this year. The 56-year-old officer, who had been with the department for 25 years and served in its Strategic Response Group, fatally shot himself at a home in Laurelton, Queens, according to a police official. His suicide came a day after another officer fatally shot himself in Yonkers. (Honan and Blint-Welsh, 8/15)
Health News Florida: After Orlando Airport Suicide, More TSA Workers Come Forward
TSA agent Robert Henry jumped to his death inside the Orlando International Airport in February. Afterward, agents came forward to say Henry was bullied at work and that Transportation Security Administration has a toxic work environment. An investigation from NPR member station WMFE in Orlando found dozens of TSA workers across the country with similar stories of workplace harassment and retaliation. (Aboraya, 8/15)
The New York Times: Suicide Prevention Hotline Number Should Be 3 Digits, 988, Agency Says
Just as 911 is universal to Americans during emergencies, a federal agency says the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline should be shortened to three digits: 988. The Federal Communications Commission recommended simplifying the hotline’s current 10-digit number in a sweeping report this week spurred by federal legislation passed last year that called for improvements to the system. (Vigdor, 8/15)
The Associated Press: Gov't Wants A New 911-Like Number Just For Suicide Hotline
With suicides on the rise , the U.S. government wants to make the national crisis hotline easier to reach. Once implemented, people will just need to dial 988 to seek help. Currently, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses a 10-digit number, 800-273-TALK (8255). Callers are routed to one of 163 crisis centers, where counselors answered 2.2 million calls last year. (Arbel, 8/15)
