Universal, School-Based Screening Increases Identification of Teens at Risk for Suicide

Additionally, universal screening increases initiation of mental health services

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Universal, school-based, adolescent suicide risk screening effectively identifies at-risk adolescents and increases initiation of mental health services versus relying on concerning behavior, according to a study published in the December issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.

Deepa L. Sekhar, M.D., from the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of adolescent suicide risk screening to increase initiation of mental health services. The analysis included 12,909 students in 14 Pennsylvania high schools who were randomly assigned by grade to either targeted referral for behavior raising a concern for suicide risk or universal screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

The researchers found that adolescents in the universal screening arm had 7.1-fold greater odds of being identified as at risk for suicide, 7.8-fold greater odds of follow-up needs, and 4.0-fold greater odds of initiating mental health treatment.

“Although the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a major depressive disorder screening tool, its use in universal screening increased identification and treatment initiation for adolescents at risk for suicide,” the authors write. “This confirms the value of universal screening and suggests that a suicide-specific risk assessment would have even greater impact on treatment initiation for identified youth.”