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There is a need for well-described treatments targeting individuals at risk for suicidal behaviors. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of MBCT adapted to individuals who are suicidal (MBCT-S) in a randomized controlled trial, comparing an intervention group receiving MBCT-S and treatment as usual (TAU) with a control group receiving TAU only. Participants who were 18 years or older and experienced suicidal ideation were included. Assessments on suicidal ideation and symptoms associated with suicidal behavior were carried out at baseline, post-treatment, and 12 weeks after the end of the training. When comparing the intervention group with the control group, a significant reduction was found at follow-up in suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms. When focusing on the intervention group only, a significant reduction was found in suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, worrying, defeat, and entrapment, and a significant increase in mindfulness both at post-treatment and at follow-up. The findings suggest that MBCT-S is a promising suicide-specific intervention as it may have the potential to reduce suicidal ideation and suicide-related components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Men are at elevated risk of suicide compared to women. Adherence to traditional norms of masculinity can interfere with potential protective factors such as openness to talk and seeking social support, which can contribute to the increased suicide risk. An online public health campaign was developed to improve mental health among men and tackle the stigma surrounding it. This study aimed at examining whether the online suicide prevention campaign targeting men increased openness to talk about emotions and help‐seeking behavior and decreased hopelessness and adherence to traditional gender norms concerning self‐reliance. Method: 250 men (18+) from Flanders (Belgium) were recruited online and given access to the campaign website for a period of 3 days. Before and after viewing the campaign website, participants were asked to complete an online survey. Results: Viewing the campaign was associated with a small increase in help‐seeking intention when experiencing suicidal thoughts. Among men who reported mental health problems, a small increase in openness to communicating and expressing emotions was found after viewing the campaign. In general, participants evaluated the campaign positively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the potential beneficial impact of an online prevention campaign specifically targeting men on health behaviors that may protect against suicidal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at the investigation of psychosocial and psychiatric risk factors of adolescent suicide by means of a case-control psychological autopsy study. Relatives and other informants of 19 suicide victims and 19 matched psychiatric controls were interviewed by means of a semi-structured interview schedule. Psychiatric controls included adolescents, individually matched according to gender, age and time between interview and suicide/admission, who had been admitted to a Psychiatric Department with suicidal ideation or attempted suicide at admission. Results showed that suicide victims had been exposed more frequently to suicidal behaviour by friends and through media and experienced more relational problems in the past year. Suicidal communication was less frequently reported in suicide victims than in controls and when communication did occur, it was less often directed towards parents. Treatment of psychiatric disorders was significantly less found in suicide victims. Psychiatric control patients were more likely to have comorbidity of psychiatric disorder, conduct disorder, delinquency or academic difficulties. This study showed significant differences between young suicide victims and psychiatric controls for life events, exposure, communication and treatment. These results also suggest that more symptoms and more externalizing behaviour can be observed in psychiatric control patients which could indicate more warning signals of possible psychiatric problems for the environment, which could result in more help-seeking behaviour and treatment. (Contains 2 tables.)

This international comparative study addresses differences between adolescents who engage in deliberate self-harm (DSH) and who receive help following the DSH episode versus those who do not. A standardized self-report questionnaire was completed by pupils aged 14-17 in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Norway (n = 30 532). An act of DSH in the year prior to the study was reported by 1660 participants. Nearly half (48.4%) had not received any help following DSH, 32.8% had received help from their social network only and 18.8% from health services. Except for Hungary, cross-national comparisons revealed remarkably similar findings. Adolescents who had been in contact with health services following DSH reported more often a wish to die, lethal methods, alcohol/drug problems and DSH in the family compared to those who had not. However, those who received no help or help from their social network only were also heavily burdened. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Background: Deliberate self-harm among young people is an important focus of policy and practice internationally. Nonetheless, there is little reliable comparative international information on its extent or characteristics. We have conducted a seven-country comparative community study of deliberate self-harm among young people. Method: Over 30,000 mainly 15- and 16-year-olds completed anonymous questionnaires at school in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. Study criteria were developed to identify episodes of self-harm; the prevalence of self-harm acts and thoughts, methods used, repetition, reasons given, premeditation, setting for the act, associations with alcohol and drugs, hospitalisation, and whether other people knew, were examined. Results: Self-harm was more than twice as common among females as males and, in four of the seven countries, at least one in ten females had harmed herself in the previous year. Additional young people had thought of harming themselves without doing so. More males and females in all countries except Hungary cut themselves than used any other method, most acts took place at home, and alcohol and illegal drugs were not usually involved. The most common reasons given were "to get relief from a terrible state of mind" followed by "to die", although there were differences between those cutting themselves and those taking overdoses. About half the young people decided to harm themselves in the hour before doing so, and many did not attend hospital or tell anyone else. Just over half those who had harmed themselves during the previous year reported more than one episode over their lifetime. Conclusions: Deliberate self-harm is a widespread yet often hidden problem in adolescents, especially females, which shows both similarities and differences internationally.

How differences in drinking patterns may affect the impact of alcohol consumption on deliberate self-harm among adolescents is explored in this international comparative study. Schools in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway (N = 30,532) were surveyed. In all countries the risk of deliberate self-harm was significantly elevated among adolescents who reported some or numerous episodes of intoxication, controlling for confounding factors. The results support the assumption that intoxication is significantly related to the association between alcohol consumption and deliberate self-harm in adolescents.

Background: Psycho-educational programs are among the most commonly applied suicide prevention approaches for young people. This study examined the effectiveness of these programs in a controlled study by assessing the effect on knowledge, attitudes, coping and hopelessness. Method: Fourteen- to 18-year-old students were administered structured questionnaires before and after the program to assess the effect on knowledge, attitudes, coping and hopelessness. Results: The program had no effect on coping styles and levels of hopelessness. However, a positive effect on knowledge could be identified and an interaction effect of the program with gender on attitudes was also found. A negative impact of the program could not be found. Results indicated effects of gender and pre-test on knowledge, attitudes and coping. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that psycho-educational programs in schools may influence knowledge about suicide and attitudes towards suicidal persons but may not affect the use of coping styles or levels of hopelessness.