BACKGROUND: Suicide the third leading cause of death among adolescents nationally. One of two national performance measures for state recipients of Title V Block Grant funds is adolescent suicide. Many states are now developing and implementing plans to prevent suicide among youths. To date, we do not have a comprehensive view of the number of states actively working in this area or on the elements of state suicide prevention activities.
METHODS: Several sources of information are used to assess state efforts to prevent youth suicide. A survey of state health departments provides information on state activities and support for suicide prevention efforts. Suicide prevention plans states are reviewed for program and evaluation content. Information from all sources is summarized and presented to provide a more comprehensive picture of state efforts and plans to prevent youth suicide.
RESULTS: State health departments have made significant progress in defining youth suicide as a public health priority and have started to devote personnel and fiscal resources to addressing the problem. Almost three-fourths of states report that they have some sort of suicide prevention activity in their health department. States health department staff indicated that they need assistance in identifying funding and evaluating their programs.
CONCLUSIONS: State health departments are actively engaging in efforts to prevent youth suicide. Many have drafted plans to prevent suicide based on the best available science. Many plans have program evaluation components built-in but lack adequate resources to conduct evaluation research (e.g. controlled trials)
See www.edc.org/HHD/csnLearning Objectives: 1. Identify elements of model youth suicide prevention programs. 2. Describe the nature of the state activities to prevent youth suicide. 3. Describe the role that MCH agencies and other public health professionals should play in addressing suicide as a public health problem.
Keywords: Suicide, Adolescents
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Children's Safety Network
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.