508 - Cerebral Palsy and Mental Health: A Study on Suicide Risk in Youth and Young Adults

Publication Number: 508.4538

Mwuese R. Ngur, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; Allison Gornik, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; Benjamin J. Schindel, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; Suzanne Rybczynski, East Tennessee Children's Hospital, Knoxville, TN, United States; Paul H. Lipkin, Kennedy Krieger Institute & Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, United States

Background: Rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been on the rise for youth and young adults. Youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities are known to have higher risk than their typically developing peers, yet assessment of suicide risk among youth with cerebral palsy (CP) has been limited.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to establish rates of suicidality in this group from suicide screening in a clinical sample.

Design/Methods: The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) were completed by children and adults with CP. Respondents were 8 years old or older; communicative; and scheduled for appointments as part of routine clinical care within a specialized medical clinic. Affirmative responses to any of the first four questions indicated elevated risk and triggered a fifth question assessing acuity. All screenings in the sample were performed from 2019 to 2024 and answered by the patient.

Results: A total of 150 subjects were included in the study. Demographics were as follows: 65.3% male; M age=15.61, SD=5.09; 25.0% Medicaid/medical assistance insurance; 50.0% White, 26.0% Black. Overall, n=94 children aged 8-17 completed at least one screening, and n=56 young adults aged 18-25 completed at least one screening. Considering the first completed screening, 4.3% of screenings were positive for non- acute increased suicide risk among children aged 8-17; among young adults, 7.1% of screenings were positive. Of note, three children aged 8-11 years screened positive on their initial screening. No respondents had acute suicidal thoughts. When including all screenings administered to a patient over the course of their care within this clinic (n=288 screenings; range: 1-11 screenings), 8.0% of patients at some point had a positive non-acute screening. 4.0% of all patients reporting recent suicidal ideation as well as 4.0% of all patients reporting a prior suicide attempt. Two-thirds of patients who screened positive were female.

Conclusion(s): Suicidal thoughts and behaviors were present for a notable percentage of patients presenting to CP clinic, all non-acute. This suggests that there may be a greater risk to this population than currently known. Additionally, as mirrored in the general population, a higher percentage of females were elevated for risk than males . These results highlight the need and feasibility for routine and repeated suicide risk screening for communicative youth and young adults with CP in medical settings.