Citation

Shepard LD, Campbell KA, Byrne KA, Thorn B, Keeshin BR. Child Maltreat. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/10775595231163592

PMID

36927222

Abstract

Youth presenting to a Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) for a forensic interview are at increased risk for suicidality, but no data exist for suicidality or suicide screening and response at the time of the forensic interview. The current study applied a suicide and traumatic stress screening and response protocol, the Care Process Model for Pediatric Traumatic Stress (CPM-PTS), with youth (11-18 years) presenting for a forensic interview to one of 16 participating CAC locations, 2018-2020.46.2% of youth screened for traumatic stress and suicidality (N = 1651) endorsed thoughts of suicide or self-harm in the past two weeks, and 13.6% were assessed as high risk for suicide. High symptoms of traumatic stress increased the risk of suicidal thinking as well as of high risk suicidality. CAC workers, both clinicians and non-clinicians, facilitated screening and provided prevention response. Suicide screening and response at the CAC at the time of the forensic interview appears important and feasible.

Language: en

Keywords

prevention; suicide; traumatic stress; children’s advocacy center (CAC)