Youth Suicide Prevention Programs: An Update for Pediatricians
摘要
This article summarizes the current state of youth suicide prevention programs, including types of interventions, examples, and evidence of effectiveness. It also briefly reviews recent data on risk factors for suicide, including concerns about the influence of social media and artificial intelligence.
Recent FindingsSuicide remains a leading cause of death for youth and young adults. Recent systematic reviews find many gaps in evidence regarding prevention, but support pediatricians taking action to identify youth at risk, conducting short pragmatic interventions, and connecting youth to planned monitoring and care.
SummaryWe know more about what works to prevent suicides in adults than in young people. However, there are practical options for pediatricians to help youth and young adults. This includes brief screening in primary care, followed by safety planning and lethal means restriction. Existing evidence also supports school-based youth education on mental health and suicide. Dialectical behavioral therapy shows promise. More research is needed on social media, apps, and AI to understand and mitigate potential risks, and to exploit their low cost and wide reach.