Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth aged 15 - 19 years. The Surgeon General's 1999 Call for Action identifies youth suicide as a major public health problem. The challenges for prevention science and practioners alike in reducing suicide risk behaviors are to a) identify and screen youth, b) provide theoretically based, promising preventive interventions, and c) test the efficacy of the interventions for reducing risk and enhancing protective factors associated with suicidal behaviors. This study reports the preliminary effects of three brief indicated suicide prevention interventions for adolescents. Usual care is compared to a) Counselors-CARE, a brief assessment and motivational, social connection interview, b) Parents-CARE, a 2-session skills training intervention for parents and c) Counselors & Parents CARE, an intervention that combines the youth and parent components. To date 270 youth at suicide risk have been inducted into the study. These youth have completed the baseline assessment and have been randomly assigned to either the control or experimental conditions. Of this group 237 have completed the intervention and the second assessment (4 weeks) and 97 have completed the third measurement (10 weeks). The remaining 270 participating youth are currently enrolled in the intervention or awaiting the second assessment. Preliminary results suggest the efficacy of the combined intervention. Youth in the Counselors & Parents-CARE condition report significant effects compared to usual care (controls) in reductions in attitudes toward suicide, suicide ideation, depression and hopelessness. Methodology, study limitations,implications for future research and practice initiatives will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: Following participation in this session, participants will be able to: 1.Describe the key intervention elements of three brief preventive interventions for youth at suicide risk. 2.Evaluate the differential effects of three brief interventions immediately post-intervention (4 and 10 weeks).
Keywords: Suicide, School-Based Programs
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.