The New York Times (9/19, Louis, Subscription Publication) reports a new study suggests that attention deficit disorder (ADD) “is the most common mental health diagnosis among children under 12 who die by suicide.” In evaluating “deaths in 17 states from 2003 to 2012,” researchers “compared 87 children aged 5 to 11 who committed suicide with 606 adolescents aged 12 to 14 who did, to see how they differed.” The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “More Child Suicides Are Linked to A.D.D. Than Depression, Study Suggests,” CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS, New York Times, September 19, 2016.

Healio (9/15, Oldt) reports, “A literature review” published online Sept. 9 in the American Psychiatric Association’s American Journal of Psychiatry suggested that Food and Drug Administration-approved “hypnotic medications were associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation.” In particular, the study authors “expressed concern regarding benzodiazepine receptor agonist hypnotics, which can cause parasomnias and may lead to suicidal ideation or behavior in individuals not known to be suicidal.”

Related Links:

— “Hypnotics may increase risk for suicidal ideation, suicide,” McCall WV, et al., Healio, September 15, 2016.

The New York Daily News (9/14, Fermino) reports New York City health officials announced that more people now die from suicide in the city than from homicide or car crashes. In 2014, 565 people died by suicide while 353 people died from homicides and 270 died in motor vehicle accidents.

Related Links:

— “Suicide claims more lives in New York City than murders or car crashes, data shows,” Jennifer Fermino, New York Daily News, September 14, 2016.

In an opinion piece in USA Today (9/15, Shulkin), David J. Shulkin, MD, undersecretary for health for the Department of Veterans Affairs, writes, “This past year, VA has expanded our suicide prevention efforts providing greater access to our services, and we are continuing to ensure same-day access for urgent mental health needs at every medical center.”

The VA is also “enhancing…partnerships with community-based” practitioners “to broaden the network of mental health professionals and are researching to find new solutions.” Dr. Shulkin concludes, “We believe our partnerships, research and new technologies will benefit all Americans, and we will continue to be seen as the forerunners in suicide prevention efforts.”

Related Links:

— “VA: Suicide prevention is a top priority,” David J. Shulkin, USA Today, September 15, 2016.

In an editorial, USA Today (9/15) asserts, “A veteran is choosing death every 72 minutes, and the” Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) “could be doing more to keep that person alive.” USA Today charges that the VA’s “mammoth bureaucracy, second only to the Pentagon, has been slow to embrace new ideas, chief among them managing the urge to commit suicide and not just treating underlying illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder or severe depression.”

Related Links:

— “Every 72 minutes, a veteran commits suicide: Our view,” USA Today, September 15, 2016.