Shared Links (weekly) Sept. 15, 2024
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The Psych Central website is celebrating 20 years of existence this year. On Monday evening, EST, they will be hosting a free webinar to share the story of the site, and to help folks learn about what resources are available on the site. During this webinar, you’ll: Learn about the power of online information and…
The quote from this article is about the situation in New Zealand, but it’s the same everywhere. After 14 suicide attempts and a long battle with mental illness, 23-year-old film director Jazz Thornton co-founded advocacy group Voices of Hope to help others going through similar struggles. “The current system isn’t working because unless you are…
This is true for trafficking, and it’s true for child sexual abuse, and it’s true for a variety of other ways in which people might try to take advantage of someone. People with poor mental health, poor connections to other people, and living in chaotic situations are more vulnerable. The best tool to prevent these things is to work on having fewer vulnerable people.
Mental health resources could go a long way.
What was obvious to me when reading the list was that most, not all, of the counties without a shortage of mental health resources were relatively suburban. They offer numerous advantages compared to urban and rural areas. Good schools, safe neighborhoods, access to healthcare of all kinds, etc. If you win the zip code lottery and find yourself born into one of these areas, there’s a fairly good chance that mental healthcare will be available for you if needed.
I came across this review when someone shared it on social media, and it got picked up and passed around a bit. The review is from the Foster Talk page, which is aimed at Foster families and intersects the topics here when we talk about childhood trauma. Ruth Willets shared this about the book, which might be of interest to many of you who have teens and kids who have experienced trauma, or maybe even some young adults who could use some help understanding what trauma does to us.
I don’t claim to have all of the answers to the challenge of suicide prevention, but the basics are relatively straightforward. This research into teenagers shows us precisely what keeps people alive:
Despite high suicide risk, most teens can identify reasons to live, from family bonds to small future dreams – offering hope for prevention.