AAP partners with other experts to create blueprint for youth suicide prevention
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
In its latest step to address a national emergency in pediatric mental health, the AAP has collaborated on a set of guidelines known as the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention.
In a statement, the academy explained that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated trends in suicide among youth. Data published in MMWR showed the proportion of mental health-related ED visits for suicide attempts in early 2021 among teens increased 31% compared with the same period in 2019.
The AAP said the guidelines were meant to “support pediatric health clinicians in identifying strategies and partnerships to support children and teens at risk for suicide.”
The document includes recommendations for pediatricians, such as screening patients aged 12 years and older for mental health concerns, a list of risks that play a role in suicides and protective factors known to help in suicide prevention, which include coping and problem-solving skills and supportive relationships.
Christine Yu Moutier, MD, the chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), which collaborated with the AAP and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on the guidelines, said the document also stresses the importance of health equity.
“The suicide research field has been providing new tools and interventions that reduce suicide risk, yet most of these have yet to be implemented in a way that is accessible for families,” Moutier said. “This means we are missing opportunities to identify youth who are becoming at risk for suicide and to connect them to potentially life-saving care.”
AAP President Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP, said the “blueprint offers tangible recommendations for working with patients, partnering with schools and other community groups, and advocating for legislative action and funding. We cannot afford to look the other way as our children and young people suffer.”
Reference:
Bitsko R, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;doi:10.15585/mmwr.su7102a1.