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Background: Suicide bereavement increases the probability of adverse outcomes related to grief, social functioning, mental health, and suicidal behavior. While more support for individuals bereaved by suicide has become available, the evidence regarding its effectiveness is not straightforward. The literature suggests that identifying best-practice components is key in designing effective postvention interventions. Aims: This metareview aims to identify components of suicide bereavement interventions perceived to be effective by suicide-bereaved people. Method: The review adhered to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Systematic searches in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, EBM Reviews, Scopus, and Web of Science identified 11 eligible systematic reviews published between 2008 and 2023. The methodological quality was assessed using the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2) (PROSPERO registration CRD42023458300). Results: Our narrative synthesis reported the components perceived to be effective in relation to structure and content of interventions, facilitators, and modality (peer, group, community, online). Limitations: The quality of the included reviews varied considerably, and not all reviews reported on perceived effectiveness of interventions' components. Meta-analysis of findings was not possible due to study heterogeneity. Conclusion: The findings provide crucial information for researchers, service providers, and policymakers to enhance the provision of evidence-based support for people bereaved by suicide.

Background/objectives: The way in which topics like suicide, mental health concerns and alcohol and other drug use are communicated matters. It has the potential to have either a positive or negative impact on people and communities, particularly those with a lived experience of these concerns. This article draws on the findings of a qualitative study designed to explore the experiences and perceptions of stakeholders on the imagery and language used to depict suicide, mental health concerns or alcohol and other drug use., Methods: The focus group method was used as a form of participatory action research to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences and views of those who use or are impacted by language and imagery about suicide, mental ill-health and AOD use, including those with lived experiences of these topics., Results: A series of 10 focus groups were created in February and March 2022 with media and other professional communicators; people identifying as having a lived experience of suicide, mental ill-health or alcohol and other drug use; mental health and suicide prevention sector professionals; and people from priority populations ( n = 49). From these focus groups, principles were developed as well as exemplars of helpful and less helpful depictions. Rather than prescriptive or static rules, the participants indicated that safe representations require an ongoing engagement with the principle of "do no harm"., Conclusions: A positive conclusion arose-that words and images have the potential to promote help-seeking, challenge stigma or stereotypes and create change.

Background: Previous studies have increasingly shown the adverse effects of being bullied on suicidal behavior among young people, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. We examined the association between bullying and suicidal behavior among in-school adolescents. We further tested whether loneliness mediated the link between bullying and suicidal behavior and explored the moderated role of parental involvement in this association., Methods: We used cross-sectional school-based data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey among 28 countries and territories. Adjusted, modified Poisson regressions with robust variance relative risks and moderation analyses were used to examine associations among bullying, suicidal behavior, and parental involvement. The mediating effect of loneliness on the bullying-suicidal behavior link was assessed using the generalized decomposition method., Results: A total of 78,558 school-going adolescents participated in this study. Bullying was associated with a 44% increased risk of suicidal behavior after adjusting for potential confounders (relative risk = 1.44; 95% confidence interval = 1.39-1.48). Loneliness partially mediated the association between bullying and suicidal behavior, and parental involvement moderated the association., Discussion: The findings suggest the need to recognize the dual burden of bullying and loneliness when addressing suicidal behavior and the importance of parental support in adolescents' mental health and well-being., (Copyright © 2023 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

(1) Background: Food insufficiency is a global pandemic affecting many people, especially those residing in developing countries. African countries have been affected by food insufficiency, which is mostly caused by drought or wars. Famine or food insufficiency has been reported to have an impact on the psychological health and quality of life of people affected. This review assessed the mental health outcomes of famine and food insufficiency in West Africa. (2) Methods: A search of the published literature was conducted using PubMed, PsycExtra, Medline, and PsycINFO databases. The search was limited to papers published in English between the years 2010 and 2020. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of the retrieved papers using pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and a third reviewer resolved conflicts. Data were extracted and appraised using a data extraction form and an appraisal checklist. (3) Results: A total of 81 papers were identified through the journal databases search. Out of the seven papers that met the inclusion criteria, six papers used cross-sectional designs and one paper used an experimental design. The six papers used quantitative approach for data collection, while the one paper used a qualitative technique. The evidence synthesized from this review indicated that exposure to food insecurity or insufficiency is associated with increased psychological distress including anxiety, sleeplessness, intellectual disability, general mental, and emotional instability. (4) Conclusions: This review strongly highlights the need for further research across the sub-region. It further suggests that famine and food insufficiency are associated with significant mental health problems in adults and impacts the cognitive and intellectual development of children. Although there is paucity of literature about famine and its impact on mental health in West Africa, these findings are important for developing social policy initiatives for increasing food supply and mental health interventions for all ages.

(1) Background: Military combat impacts the mental health of veterans and active military personnel. Although various studies, the majority of which are from Westernized countries, have provided insight into how combat causes psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among veterans, there appears to be scant published literature on psychiatric disorders among military personnel in the West African region. It is important to contextually understand the psychiatric disorders among military personnel in this region who may be faced with similar vulnerabilities to their counterparts from Western cultures. (2) Methods: This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they were published in English between January 2010 and January 2021 and assessed mental health problems or psychiatric disorders among soldiers in West Africa. (3) Results: All three included studies were from Nigeria. High prevalence rates of substance and alcohol use were reported. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the need for more research in this population as well as identifying the intervention needs of the soldiers and their implications.

In Ghana, incest is considered sinful, taboo, and illegal. However, recent media reports show that incest has become a daily reality in Ghana. This study is a situational analysis of the pattern of incest in Ghana as reported in the media from January 2008 through July 2015. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on 48 incest news reports in Ghana. The findings showed that father-daughter incest was most frequent across the study period. Forty-seven females aged 3 to 25 years and a male aged 3 years were identified as victims. Generally, the incest lasted between 1 day and 13 years before disclosure. Perpetrators employed psychological and/or physical methods to coerce their victims. Marital difficulties, diabolical control, and seduction by victim featured prominently as alleged motives behind the abuse. The study observes that the recent increase in father-daughter incest warrants an immediate shift of research attention onto men's mental health in Ghana.

Adolescent suicide is now a major health concern for many countries. However, there is paucity of systematic studies and lack of official statistics on adolescent suicide in Ghana. Mass media coverage of adolescent suicide (even though crude), at least, may reflect the reality of the phenomenon. With an ecological orientation, this study used qualitative content analysis to analyse the pattern of 44 media reports of adolescent suicide in Ghana from January 2001 through September 2014. Results showed that hanging was the dominant method used. The behaviour usually takes place within or near the adolescent's home environment. The act was often attributed to precursors within the microsystem (family and school) of the deceased. This study serves a seminal function for future empirical studies aimed at deeper examination of the phenomenon in order to inform prevention programmes.