Suicide-Risk Identification Across Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric Practices: A DBPNet Study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Behavioral Health

Background:

• Universal suicide screening is recommended for children and adolescents.
• Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a vulnerable population requiring tailored screening approaches.
• Existing practices for suicide screening in pediatric developmental and behavioral health settings show significant variation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify variations in universal suicide screening practices for children and adolescents with IDD.
• To explore facilitators and barriers to implementing universal suicide screening in these settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network (DBPNet).
• Collected data through surveys from 34 respondents and semi-structured interviews with 21 representatives across various clinics (developmental-behavioral pediatrics, psychology, psychiatry).
• Employed descriptive statistics for surveys and thematic analysis for interviews.

Main Results:

• Only 44.1% of practices reported universal suicide screening, with significant procedural variations.
• Facilitators included standardized procedures, staff training, and dedicated response personnel.
• Barriers encompass patient, family, provider, and system-level factors, including inadequate mental health systems and lack of IDD-specific support.

Conclusions:

• Despite regulatory requirements and expertise, suicide screening implementation and positive screen management for youth with IDD are inconsistent.
• Opportunities exist to standardize procedures to improve suicide risk identification and response for this population.