Preventing Youth Suicide: Potential "Crossover Effects" of Existing School-Based Programs

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Public Health
• Education

Background:

• Rising youth mental health issues and workforce shortages exacerbate concerns about increased youth suicidal behaviors.
• Schools are vital for youth mental health and suicide prevention but face resource limitations.
• Emerging evidence suggests social-emotional learning (SEL) programs can have unintended positive impacts on youth suicide risk.

Approach:

• Review key youth suicide risk and protective factors and their underlying mechanisms.
• Identify upstream prevention programs targeting these factors.
• Explore the potential for 'crossover effects' from SEL programs to reduce youth suicide risk within school settings.

Key Points:

• SEL programs, designed for problem-solving and social-emotional functioning, show promise for reducing youth suicidal behavior.
• The potential of school-based SEL programs to impact suicide risk via crossover effects requires further investigation.
• Existing school resources may be leveraged for suicide prevention through a framework for understanding and implementing upstream programs.

Conclusions:

• Upstream prevention programs in schools offer a promising avenue for mitigating youth suicide risk.
• Rigorous research is essential to identify optimal school- and community-based strategies for preventing youth suicide.
• A framework is proposed to guide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in utilizing school resources for youth suicide prevention.