(PS8-29) Designing a Measurement Battery for a Pediatric Suicide Prevention Clinic: Considerations and Preliminary Findings

Abstract Text:

Introduction: Suicide remains a leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24. Access to timely evidence-based care for youth with suicidal ideation and behaviors is limited, particularly patients with Medicaid. Common mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD are comorbid with suicidal ideation, in addition to transdiagnostic factors including distress tolerance, inflexible thinking, and hopelessness. The Lurie Children’s Suicide Prevention and Research Collaborative (L-SPARC) Intervention Clinic was developed to deliver outpatient intervention for suicidal ideation and related behaviors to bridge the gap between youth presenting with suicide risk and connecting them with long-term care. The present study describes the design considerations and initial findings of the L-SPARC measurement battery for patients presenting with elevated risk for suicide.

Methods: Twenty youth and caregivers were given a survey battery at pre-intervention. Considerations for brevity, prudence of self-report versus parent proxy, and applicability to suicide drivers were included while conforming to an evidence-based assessment process. The battery included a family background questionnaire, Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), Screen for Anxiety and Depression Related Disorders (SCARED), Vanderbilt ADHD Scales, Ohio Scales-Functional Impairment and Hope, and Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Descriptive statistics were used to report demographics, survey outcomes, and frequencies of participants scoring in the clinical cut range.

Results: Youth identified as 35% Black, 5% White, 5% Middle Eastern, 5% Native American, 30% Other, and 10% preferred not to report, and 45% of youth identified as Hispanic. Youth identified as 25% male, 55% female, 5% other, and 5% preferred not to say. 85% of youth had Medicaid. 65% of caregivers and 80% of youth reported depression scores as clinically significant, (Mcare=12.63; SDcare=7.22; Myouth = 14.61; SDyouth= 6.89). 35% of parents and 65% of youth reported youth anxiety scores as clinically significant (Mcare=23.17; SDcare=15.64; Myouth=33.78; SDyouth=15.95). The mean of ADHD scores was 11.86 (SD=9.88). 18.75% of youth screened positive for the inattentive subscale, but none screened positive for the hyperactive or combined subscales. 52.6% of caregivers and 88.9% of youth reported significant youth functional impairment (Mcare =49.05; SDcare = 15.85) and ( Myouth =50.17; SDyouth = 8.14). 55% of parents and 65% of youth reported hopelessness scores as elevated (Mcare=11.64; SDcare =4.46; Myouth = 14.44; SDyouth=4.03) compared to a community sample. 30% of youth demonstrated significant problems with distress tolerance as measured by the DTS (M= 36.89; SD=8.47).

Conclusion: Adolescents presenting to the L-SPARC intervention clinic are identified elevated functional impairment, depression, and anxiety. These findings help illustrate the mental health status of youth reporting increased suicide risk. Future research should focus on how these constructs change over time for youth after their discharge from the L-SPARC clinic and examine which constructs, along with demographic and clinical variables, predict change over time.