Startling new findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that now, more Americans die from committing suicide then are killed in car accidents. While there are numerous contributing factors to the surge in suicide rates in America, a recent study looking at increases in suicide rates found that economic conditions may not be the primary factor. As The Atlantic Wire points out, several of the top 10 states that have seen the biggest spikes in suicide rates have fared relatively well through the economic crisis. Florida, Arizona and Nevada—three states that saw major financial losses during the mortgage crisis, don’t even appear in top 10 list. According to the story, one factor that could play a role in the suicide rates across different states is gun ownership … Discuss

Following the death of their 27-year-old son to suicide, Rick and Kay Warren have launched a petition in an effort to raise awareness about mental illness.

Matthew was just one of about 11.4 million American adults that suffered from severe mental illness in the past year. In fact, one in five Americans experiences some sort of mental illness. Join Kay and I, and the Saddleback Family, in our effort to urge educators, lawmakers, healthcare professionals, and church congregations to raise the awareness and lower the stigma of mental illness… and support the families that deal with mental illness on a daily basis.

The youngest son of the best-selling author and pastor took his own life on April 5, after a lifelong battle with depression and mental illness. The family is also establishing a mental health foundation in his name … Discuss

In a case that is heartbreakingly similar to another high-profile teen suicide in Canada, three teenage boys have been arrested in California after a girl they allegedly sexually assaulted committed suicide. An attorney for the victims family also says that (like in recent teen rape cases in Steubenville and Canada), the attackers shared pictures of the assault via cell phone cameras. Eight days after he assault, which the 15-year-old victim said ruined her life on her Facebook page, she hanged herself. Yesterday, a Canadian Justice Minister vowed to reexamine the case of a teen girl who also hanged herself after she was allegedly raped by four boys who also distributed photos of the attack to classmates … Discuss

A Justice Minister in Canada has asked officials to present him options to reexamine the case against four teenage boys who allegedly raped (and photographed the attack) a teen girl who killed herself this week. The teenage girl hanged herself after being tormented by bullies when photos of the alleged rape were circulated among classmates. The incident happened in 2011, when she was just 15 years old.

According to the girl’s mother, when they originally brought the crime to police, they were told it would be too difficult to prosecute, because ultimately it was a "he said, she said" situation. Now, Nova Scotia Justice Minister Ross Landry has said that he is reviewing the case, and has met with the young victim’s mother. “It’s never too late to do the right thing … We’ve got to explore the options to review the actions of our authorities to ensure that our system is working”. It’s also now being reported that Anonymous, the hacker organization that brought new evidence to light in the Steubenville rape case, has threatened to expose the alleged rapists identities … Discuss

Officials at Marine Corps Base Quantico say that three United States Marines are dead in what appears to be a double murder-suicide. Investigators are still trying to determine a motive to understand why the man would kill two of his fellow Marines, a man and a woman, before turning the gun on himself. The incident unfolded in the wake of another recent tragedy in the Marine Corp community—the death of seven Marines during a training exercise in Nevada earlier this week … Discuss