Youth Suicide Research: Some Current Challenges and Opportunities

Rates of youth suicide are increasing. Frameworks for suicide prevention activities exist and span universal,selective and indicated interventions, but how do they apply to young people? In order to answer this question,we conducted i) a systematic review and meta-analysis of almost 100 studies that examined the full spectrum ofyouth suicide interventions, and ii) a consultation with young people from across Australia. These activities ledto a program of work that was specifically developed by and for young people and that has young people as activepartners in the research. In this paper we describe some of the gaps in current youth suicide prevention researchefforts and discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that including young people as active partnersin suicide research presents.

A National Survey of School Counselors’ Experiences With Student Death by Suicide

We examined school counselors’ experiences with student’s suicide. Our quantitative findings identified that encountering the death of a student by suicide is common for school counselors during their careers. School counselors reported a range of personal and professional reactions and relied on different sources of support following students’ deaths. School counselors who experienced student’s death by suicide had higher self-efficacy scores related to suicide interventions than those who had not experienced a student’s suicide.

The Role of the School Nurse in Suicide Interventions: An Integrative Review

Suicide rates among children and adolescents have continued to rise over the past decade indicating the need for school-based suicide prevention programs. School nurses (SNs) are well positioned to assist in assessment, early identification, and intervention of at-risk students. This integrative review aimed to (1) critically examine the role of the SN in school-based suicide interventions, (2) explore potential barriers preventing the SN from participating in suicide interventions, and (3) recommend strategies to build capacity for principles of school nursing practice in suicide intervention. The National Association of School Nurses’ Framework for 21st Century School Nursing Practice was used to categorize interventions and outcomes related to suicide prevention. Findings demonstrate a lack of reported nursing interventions directly linked to student outcomes and suggest obscurity in the role of the SN. Recommendations for future research and strategies to build capacity for principles of school nursing practice are provided.

Designing Microblog Direct Messages to Engage Social Media Users With Suicide Ideation: Interview and Survey Study on Weibo (Preprint)

BACKGROUND While Web-based interventions can be efficacious, engaging a target population’s attention remains challenging. We argue that strategies to draw such a population’s attention should be tailored to meet its needs. Increasing user engagement in online suicide intervention development requires feedback from this group to prevent people who have suicide ideation from seeking treatment. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to solicit feedback on the acceptability of the content of messaging from social media users with suicide ideation. To overcome the common concern of lack of engagement in online interventions and to ensure effective learning from the message, this research employs a customized design of both content and length of the message. METHODS In study 1, 17 participants suffering from suicide ideation were recruited. The first (n=8) group conversed with a professional suicide intervention doctor about its attitudes and suggestions for a direct message intervention. To ensure the reliability and consistency of the result, an identical interview was conducted for the second group (n=9). Based on the collected data, questionnaires about this intervention were formed. Study 2 recruited 4222 microblog users with suicide ideation via the Internet. RESULTS The results of the group interviews in study 1 yielded little difference regarding the interview results; this difference may relate to the 2 groups’ varied perceptions of direct message design. However, most participants reported that they would be most drawn to an intervention where they knew that the account was reliable. Out of 4222 microblog users, we received responses from 725 with completed questionnaires; 78.62% (570/725) participants were not opposed to online suicide intervention and they valued the link for extra suicide intervention information as long as the account appeared to be trustworthy. Their attitudes toward the intervention and the account were similar to those from study 1, and 3 important elements were found pertaining to the direct message: reliability of account name, brevity of the message, and details of the phone numbers of psychological intervention centers and psychological assessment. CONCLUSIONS This paper proposed strategies for engaging target populations in online suicide interventions.