Suicide, a public health problem on a global scale, has become the focus in many domains across the United States. With the recent push to provide solutions to the adolescent suicide rate in the U.S., the school setting has become an important venue for prevention and intervention efforts. While there are many risk and protective factors, the majority of suicide completions are concurrent with psychiatric disorders among adolescents; as such, this is an area that warrants further investigation. Additionally, school resources are often overwhelmed by the magnitude of need among the student population; therefore, effective interventions must be identified that can feasibly be implemented in the schools. Research has suggested that parent-adolescent relationships are key in the prevention of suicide, yet minimal research has been conducted towards promoting healthy parent-adolescent relationships for at-risk adolescents. Additionally, some research suggests that school and community interventions are only more effective than parental support when negative parent-adolescent relationships are present. This implies that fostering parental support should be a top priority in school-based suicide prevention efforts. This literature review identifies and summarizes pertinent scholarly research and resources for schools to better support parents of adolescents who struggle with suicidal thoughts and previous attempted suicides. As part of an intervention plan which increases home/school collaboration in adolescent suicide prevention, handouts were developed for parents (found in the appendix), which include information on warning signs of suicide, risk factors for suicide, and methods of responding to suicidality. After adapting these handouts to best meet their students' needs, school-based mental health professionals may consider including these handouts in their school's crisis plan and suicide prevention efforts.

Given past findings that have linked trauma and lack of personal control to greater suicidal risk in adults, the present study examined how trauma presence and personal control are uniquely involved in predicting suicidal risk in a sample of 469 college students. Regression analyses indicated that both trauma presence and personal control were significant predictors of suicidal risk, as was their interaction. The present findings suggest a need to consider both trauma presence and low personal control in assessing for suicidal risk in college students.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Using data collected from counselor educators, the presenters will explore the current status of teaching suicide assessment in CACREP accredited master’s programs, as well as counselor educators’ comfort level with adequately preparing students to assess suicide risk. Recommendations for increasing competence and strategies for teaching will be provided.

Survivors of suicide attempts are at increased risk for future suicide, and there are few empirically validated treatments designed to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors among this population. The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide proposed that reducing suicidal individuals’ feelings of burdensomeness on others and disconnectedness from others will decrease the desire for suicide. Disclosing one’s history of suicidal behavior to a trusted confidant has been found to have a positive impact on depression symptoms, so the present study sought to evaluate the benefits of disclosing on measures of social support and proximal suicide risk described by the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide. Data were collected from 99 undergraduate students who reported at least one lifetime suicide attempt. Results indicated that disclosing one’s history of suicide attempt to one or two confidants had a positive indirect effect on depression, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Thwarted Belongingness via a pathway mediated by peer social support. However, disclosing to 3 individuals attenuated these positive effects. Results support existing treatments that incorporate disclosure of suicide attempt history or active suicidal ideation as a suicide prevention technique and recommend the use of disclosure as a way to facilitate increased social connectedness, thereby reducing desire for suicide.

The purpose of this study seeks to uncover the relationship between the political objectives of the primary Palestinian political entities, the methods used by those entities to pursue their goals, and the socio-cultural fluctuation vis-á-vis the acceptability of, and participation in, suicide terrorism that has occured as a result.

This study sought to explore the lived experience of the bereaved-by-suicide and to provide a detailed description of their experience with the loss of a loved one. The study participants were 12 bereaved-by-suicide individuals between the ages of 21 and 65 who had experienced the loss of a loved one by suicide two or more years before the interviews. The research question was made up of three parts, "How do the bereaved-by-suicide describe their grief in personal, practical, and existential terms?" The theoretical framework for the study was derived from Neimeyer's meaning reconstruction theory. Data were collected via individual interview and coded according to the themes acquired from the study participants. The primary themes of grief that emerged from their narratives included the following: (a) the initial shock, (b) episodes of anger, (c) feeling a sense of loss, (d) living in a world of grief, (e) inability to trust and the resulting isolation, (f) thoughts on life after death, (g) preparing to say good-bye, and (h) building stronger relationships. The research confirmed the overwhelming effect of suicide on those bereaved; their daily lives were disrupted, and there was a higher risk of mental instability even two or more years after the suicide. The broader implications of these findings pertain to developing strategies to increase social awareness about the grief experienced by the bereaved-by-suicide, despite the person's efforts to appear strong and hide their grief and fears. The results of this study may add to the current research and can contribute to bringing about social change in development of prevention programs, enhancements in bereavement training, support group development, and in how the bereaved-by-suicide are viewed.