Recorded presentation

Denise Hallfors, PhD¹, Paul Henry Brodish, MSPH¹, Shereen Khatapoush, PhD², Victoria Sanchez, DrPH¹, HyunSan Cho, PhD¹, and Allan Steckler, DrPH³. (1) Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1516 E. Franklin Street, Suite 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919-967-8998 ext. 12, hallfors@pire.org, (2) Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 450, Berkeley, CA 94704, (3) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina, CB# 7400, 302 Rosenau Hall, School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400

Objective: School-based screening for suicide risk has been widely recommended. This study evaluated the performance and feasibility of a screening instrument in a real-world setting. Method: A total of 1323 students in grades 9–11 participating in an effectiveness trial of the Reconnecting Youth program in eight high schools in two large U.S. urban school districts were administered the Suicide Risk Screen (SRS), embedded in the High School Questionnaire. Students identified as suicide vulnerable youth (SVY) by the SRS were compared and ranked by known risk indicators. School policies, student follow-up, staff feedback, and program adoption outcomes were described. Results: Based on SRS responses, 31% of our predominantly high-risk sample screened positive, with roughly half of these (48%) considered to be at low to moderate risk, 40% at high risk, and 11% at extremely high risk. The SRS evidenced good construct validity on related correlates. Students at higher risk also experienced higher drug use, lower family support and school connectedness, greater hopelessness, and greater endorsement of suicide as an acceptable answer to life’s problems. School staff often failed to follow district and research protocols, had considerable difficulty assessing SVY within an acceptable time frame, and reported that there was a high false positive rate, resulting in their reluctance to adopt the protocol. Conclusions: Large urban school districts currently lack the structural organization to conduct direct case finding. A tool with high specificity, as well as high sensitivity, is critical if suicide screening is to be feasible in real-world school settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the tools and process of screening for suicide risk in schools
• Describe factors associated with increasing suicide risk
• Identify barriers to successful suicide risk screening in large urban high schools
• Describe ways to increase the feasibility of suicide screen prevention programs in schools

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Suicide

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.

Recorded presentation