NIH panel establishes 10-year plan for youth suicide prevention

An independent panel, convened by the NIH, developed a 10-year plan to further research on youth suicide prevention that addresses three critical areas of improvement: data systems, data collection and analysis methods and the research and practice community.

“The complexity of suicide prevention must be embraced in order to forge new research strategies,” Todd Little, PhD, workshop and panel chair and professor at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, said in a press release. “We must coordinate numerous surveillance systems, elevate the rigor and breadth of research methods, and build stronger collaborations among the larger policy, practice, and research communities.”

From March 29 to 30, the NIH organized the Pathways to Prevention Workshop to review scientific evidence and assess research gaps regarding youth suicide. A panel of five experts attended the workshop and established a report that includes recommendations for preventing suicide in children and adolescents. They include:

More surveillance by linking data from multiple sources, such as state all-payer databases, ED data and electronic health records;

Improved measurement among diverse populations, including specific data on personal characteristics associated with suicide risk;

Helping clinicians identify effective suicide prevention programs; and

Coordinated education and training for health care providers, schools, agencies, families and communities to reduce stigma associated with suicide.

These recommendations combat several barriers to youth suicide prevention effort. Linked data systems that may be used to identify risk factors for suicide are limited, according to the panel. Measures of suicide risk and protective factors have yet to be assessed across multiple levels over time.

Further, stigma has affected classification and reporting of suicide and attempts and reduced intervention opportunities, the panel reported.

“Although youth suicide is pervasive, it can be prevented,” Little said in the release. “Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers must unite to stop suicide and circumvent the devastating pain and suffering it causes. The recommendations in this roadmap can help reduce youth suicide and guide us toward our ultimate goal of eliminating it.”