Resources for Child and Youth Populations
The problem of youth suicide is complex. The impact of social media, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), developmental transitions, identity formation, and the complexity of peer relationships challenge suicide prevention and intervention efforts. With suicide rates in youth of all ages rising, suicide in our youth populations has emerged as a public health crisis.
According to the CDC, suicide is now the second leading cause of death among youths aged 10-241 , in 2021, with the fastest-growing rates among youth ages 10–142.
Across the lifespan, including children and youth, there are significant disparities in the experience of suicide across cultures, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The rate of suicide among Black youth is twice that of white youth3 . American Indian/Alaska Native youth in the United States die at rates three times higher than white youth4. Youth suicide can also be reflected in the larger social and political climate, with risk for suicide impacted by juvenile justice and child welfare involvement, local legislative efforts, and socioeconomic status.
Effective youth suicide prevention requires primary prevention strategies as part of a comprehensive approach that incorporates the health system, youth, and family behavioral health organizations, and extends into schools and the community 5. When focusing specifically on healthcare settings, one relevant approach is the Zero Suicide framework, which has been adapted for application in pediatric settings to improve care for youth at risk of suicide. Health systems implementing the Zero Suicide framework have developed and implemented care pathways specifically for use with pediatric populations that incorporate the use of validated tools, best practices, and necessary integration with the support systems crucial for effective suicide prevention with children and adolescents. While the systems transformation needed for effective youth suicide can present challenges, comprehensive approaches to preventing youth suicide are imperative to saving lives.
Health systems implementing the Zero Suicide framework have developed and implemented care pathways specifically for use with pediatric populations that incorporate the use of validated tools, best practices, and necessary integration with the support systems crucial for effective suicide prevention with children and adolescents. While the systems transformation needed for effective youth suicide can present challenges, comprehensive approaches to preventing youth suicide are imperative to saving lives.
Featured Resources
- SAMHSA's National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Clinical Pathway for Youth
- Seattle Children's Hospital Zero Suicide Initiative Pathways
- Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit
- Prevention in Practice: Care Transitions at New Hampshire Hospital
Search for tools and resources related to suicide prevention with children and youth populations below.
- 1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. (June 2020). Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars
- 2Horowitz, L., Tipton, M. V., & Pao, M. (2020). Primary and Secondary Prevention of Youth Suicide. Pediatrics, 145(Suppl 2), S195–S203.
- 3Bridge, J. A., Horowitz, L. M., Fontanella, C. A., Sheftall, A. H., Greenhouse, J., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V. (2018). Age-related racial disparity in suicide rates among US youths from 2001 through 2015. JAMA pediatrics, 172(7), 697-699.
- 4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2021 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2023. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 2018-2021, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10-expanded.html on Jan 23, 2023.
- 5Robinson, J., Bailey, E., Witt, K., Stefanac, N., Milner, A., Currier, D., ... & Hetrick, S. (2018). What works in youth suicide prevention? A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 4, 52-91.