Citation

Ayer L, Colpe LJ. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1016/j.jaac.2022.06.022

PMID

35987301

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for youth and families dealing with remote school and work, lack of childcare, and social isolation over the course of two years. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General recently published an advisory warning of a mental health crisis among youth , noting youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, racial/ethnic and sexual/gender minority youth, youth in low income, rural and immigrant households were at higher risk of mental health challenges in the pandemic. The advisory arrived on the heels of an Emergency Declaration about child and adolescent mental health put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children's Hospital Association in October 2021. Both emphasize that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated already growing youth mental health concerns and highlight the key role schools must play in preventing youth suicide. In this commentary, we make the case for why we need schools to be in the business of youth suicide prevention.

Although more research is needed to develop and test promising school-based suicide prevention programs, policymakers recognize that schools play a key role in suicide prevention. Most state governments had already increased their budgets for school-based mental health and suicide prevention training pre-pandemic. More recently, the federal government added $122B in school funding in part to address the suicide prevention needs of students during the pandemic. In contrast, however, some community members and parents are escalating concerns about whether it is appropriate to implement suicide prevention in schools in the first place (vs. in clinical settings or homes). Such concerns may be driven partly by cultural and societal polarization and partly by misconceptions about suicide prevention. For example, some families may fear that talking about suicide in school can "put ideas into kids' heads" that they weren't having before. Schools also may have these concerns and worry about adding suicide prevention to a growing list of issues they often take on such as food insecurity, housing instability, and teacher burnout. As disagreements around schools as a suicide prevention setting escalate, mental health researchers and practitioners will be asked to respond. The purpose of this commentary is to outline key, evidence-based points that this Journal audience can use to communicate about the value and importance of school-based suicide prevention efforts...

Language: en