November 5th, 2019
By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS
If someone is breaking into your home, you’ve witnessed a car crash, or a friend is having a heart attack, you know to dial 911. But if you or a loved one is having a mental health crisis, what number do you call? Most people have to look it up. In August, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), along with Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), introduced the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which would make 9-8-8 the national crisis hotline. As Moulton said via email, “When you wake up in the middle of the night, and your house is on fire, you don’t [More]
Tags: mental health crisis, stigma, suicide attempt, call 988, National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, mental health emergencies
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
October 10th, 2019
By Susan Gonsalves
A proposed law in Massachusetts would make it illegal to coax someone to commit or attempt suicide. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Second Essex and Middlesex) and Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-4th Worcester District) would make this type of coercion punishable by up to five years in jail and has been dubbed, “Conrad’s Law.” Conrad Roy, 18, killed himself at the urging of his girlfriend Michelle Carter in 2014. Carter of Plainville was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is serving a 15-month prison sentence. “Like everyone else, I followed the case and was horrified by what happened,” said Finegold [More]
Tags: coaxing suicide, coercive behavior, suicide attempt, commit suicide, Conrad's law, causing suicide, helping suicide, encouraging suicide
Posted in Articles | No Comments »
