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How to identify suicide risk in schools

In a recent article in Psychiatric Annals, Jonathan B. Singer, PhD, LCSW, of Loyola University Chicago, outlined how to identify and respond to suicide risk in schools.

In 2014, suicide was the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults aged 15 to 24 years, according to Singer.

Data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated approximately 17.7% of high school students reported seriously considering suicide attempt; 14.6% made a suicide plan; 8.6% attempted suicide; and 2.8% made a suicide attempt that resulted in injury, poisoning or overdose that required clinician treatment.

“The average time from first serious thought of suicide to first suicide attempt in youth is 12 months,” Singer wrote. “Among the many reasons we should focus on youth suicide prevention, one of the most compelling is that reducing youth suicide risk is one of the best ways to reduce the adult suicide rate.

A comprehensive school-based suicide prevention, intervention, and “postvention” requires a multilevel systemic plan for suicide risk screening, access to community-based interventions and school-based responses to suicide deaths, according to Singer.

Strongly supported prevention programs include the Good Behavior Game for elementary schools and Signs of Suicide for middle and high schools.

There are three types of intervention for after a youth has been identified as at-risk for suicide, including: suicide risk monitoring, outpatient psychotherapy, and hospitalization.

A school re-entry meeting is “essential” for a healthy transition back to school following hospitalization, according to Singer.

“Schools provide a unique environment in which to identify and respond to youth suicide risk,” he wrote. “School staff are in a unique position to gather and interpret data about subtle changes in youth suicide risk. Community providers, including psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers are essential in managing ongoing youth suicide risk.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: Singer reports receiving royalties received for the book Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multilevel Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention.