Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Number Of Suicides In 2023 Holds Steady At Nearly Highest Level
AP: US Suicides Held Steady In 2023 — At A Very High Level
U.S. suicides last year remained at about the highest level in the nation’s history, preliminary data suggests. A little over 49,300 suicide deaths were reported in 2023, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number that could grow a little as some death investigations are wrapped up and reported. Just under 49,500 were reported in 2022, according to final data released Thursday. The numbers are close enough that the suicide rate for the two years are the same, CDC officials said. (Stobbe, 9/26)
USA Today: CDC Data Reveals Women Use Firearms More Often In Suicide Deaths
More U.S. women are using firearms in suicide deaths, according to a new federal report. Firearms were used in more than half the country’s record 49,500 suicide deaths in 2022, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. Traditionally, men die by suicide at a much higher rate than women, and they often do so using guns. However, a CDC report published Thursday found firearms were the leading means of suicide for women since 2020, with suicide deaths among women also increasing. (Cuevas, 9/26)
Military.com: Veterans Could Get Free Gun Safes Under Suicide Prevention Proposal Introduced In House
Any veteran who wants a lockbox to store their firearm would be able to get one for free from the Department of Veterans Affairs under a bipartisan bill introduced in the House on Wednesday aimed at curbing veteran suicides. The bill, which has won the endorsement of a firearms industry group in addition to gun control groups, builds off an existing pilot program at the VA that provides lockboxes to at-risk veterans. (Kheel, 9/25)
The New York Times: In Switzerland, Reported Use Of Suicide Capsule Inflames Debate
A 64-year-old American was reported to have died by assisted suicide in a remote forest in northern Switzerland with the help of two right-to-die groups that facilitated her use of a Sarco capsule, a coffin-sized, air-tight pod with a large window, according to the capsule’s inventor. The device, which can be transported to a location of a user’s choosing, has an interior button that replaces life-giving oxygen with fatal nitrogen, killing the person in minutes. Now, the authorities in the canton of Schaffhausen said they had arrested “several people” who may have helped the woman die. (Watkins, 9/25)
In other mental health news about dementia and CTE —
The New York Times: Former Vikings All-Pro QB Tommy Kramer Goes Public With Dementia Diagnosis
Tommy Kramer, a star quarterback with the Minnesota Vikings in the ’80s, announced Wednesday he was diagnosed with dementia. In a post on X, Kramer said he decided to go public after Brett Favre shared Tuesday he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Kramer, 69, said he received his diagnosis a year ago from doctors at the NFL Cleveland Clinic and was told he could have anywhere from two to 10 years to live. (Puleo, 9/25)
AP: Parkinson's Diagnosis Came After Favre Began Struggling With His Right Arm, He Tells TMZ Sports
Brett Favre was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in January after he began having trouble using his right arm and was unable to hold a screwdriver steady, the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback said in an interview with TMZ Sports. ... Favre said he suspected something was wrong when his right arm would get “stuck.” He said he didn’t notice a decrease in strength but was unable to hold a screwdriver with one hand. He said he notified his physician about the problem when he struggled to put on a jacket. (9/25)
Also —
The New York Times: Heads Up: That Patient Portal May Contain Your Therapy Notes
Starting in 2021, the federal government required all U.S. health care systems to share clinicians’ visit notes electronically, often referred to as open notes, as part of the 21st Century Cures Act. This includes therapy progress notes, which typically provide information about the client’s appearance and mood, a diagnosis, the treatment plan and any progress the client has made toward therapy goals. As a result, mental health visit notes are easily accessible via online portals from many health care institutions. But there are still networks that choose not to make the notes so easy to find. (Caron, 9/25)
