(PS2-43) Youth Suicide Prevention Within Pediatric Health Care Settings: Understanding Providers’ Beliefs, Previous Training, and Current Practices

Abstract Text:

Introduction: Suicide is now the third leading cause of death among individuals ages 17 and younger (CDC, 2022). Pediatric health care providers (PHCPs) are frequently the first point of contact for youth at risk for suicide (Ayer et al., 2022). Previous research indicates that up to 77% of youth who died by suicide had a visit with a health care provider within the year preceding their death (Cross et al., 2022; Saini et al., 2024). Unfortunately, training in suicide risk assessment and management is rare, even among mental health care professionals (Mitchell et al., 2020), and PHCPs are even less likely to receive such training (Schoen et al., 2019; Wintersteen & Diamond, 2013). The current study aimed to further investigate PHCPs’ beliefs, previous training experiences, and current practices in youth suicide prevention.

Method: Participants included 135 PHCPs in the West Texas region in the United States. The sample identified as predominantly women (76.3%), White (89.6%), and non-Hispanic/Latino (82.2%). PHCPs completed a series of items regarding their previous training, beliefs, attitudes, and current practices in youth suicide prevention, which were developed for the current study.

Results: The vast majority of providers (93%) reported that they believe suicide prevention is an important part of their professional role. Within the past 12 months, 96% of providers indicated that they had treated at least one suicidal patient (M = 9 patients, SD = 17). However, 74% reported having never previously received training in youth suicide risk assessment and management practices, and 93% of providers expressed an interest in receiving such training. Only 60% of providers expressed confidence in their ability to respond when a child or adolescent patient is at elevated risk for suicide.

Discussion: These findings highlight the urgent need for additional training in evidence-based suicide risk assessment and management practices among PHCPs. There is currently a clear gap between providers’ previous training experiences and their current responsibilities in treating youth patients experiencing suicidal ideation/behavior. It is encouraging that most providers expressed an interest in additional training in this area (93%). As the prevalence of youth suicide continues to be a pressing public health concern (Babeva et al., 2020), ensuring that all providers have the necessary skills and resources to manage risk among their child and adolescent patients effectively is crucial for preventing suicide across the nation.