Can 1st Grade Data that Schools Can or Do Routinely Collect Predict Suicide Attempts Among Black Youth?

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Suicide rates among Black youth are alarmingly increasing.
• Early childhood behaviors may be linked to later suicide attempts.
• Identifying at-risk youth is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between teacher-reported early childhood behaviors and suicide attempts in young adulthood among Black youth.
• To investigate sex-specific predictors of suicide attempts.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of Black youth from a randomized controlled trial.
• Data included teacher-rated behaviors (authority acceptance, attention-concentration, social interaction, absenteeism) in first grade.
• Self-reported lifetime suicide attempts were assessed in young adulthood (ages ~20-30).
• Analyses used full information maximum likelihood (FIML) and stratified by sex.

Main Results:

• Lower teacher-rated social interaction in first grade was associated with increased odds of suicide attempts in adult males.
• Higher teacher-rated attention-concentration problems in first grade predicted increased odds of suicide attempts in adult females.
• No significant associations were found for authority acceptance or absenteeism.

Conclusions:

• Early behavioral indicators, specifically social interaction and attention-concentration, are potential predictors of suicide attempts in Black youth.
• School-based screening in early childhood may help identify Black children at higher risk for suicide attempts.
• Targeted interventions based on early behavioral assessments could aid in suicide prevention efforts.