087 - Universal Suicide Screening in Diverse Urban Schools: Examining School-Related Outcomes Among Youth at Risk for Suicide

Publication Number: 87.6961

Sara Kohlbeck, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States; Michelle Pickett, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young people ages 10 to 24, claiming more than 6,000 young lives in the United States in 2019. Black youth in the United States are overrepresented in the overall makeup of suicides: 37% of all youth suicides in the United States involve Black children, while Black children comprise roughly 15% of the total youth population in the United States. At the same time, suicide among Hispanic youth, specifically Hispanic young females, is increasing.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to implement universal suicide screening within two highly diverse schools in an urban, diverse school district and then examine school-related outcomes (e.g., school attendance, disciplinary interventions, special education status) in the context of positive suicide screens.

Design/Methods: We implemented our universal suicide risk screening pilot at two schools (one bilingual middle school and one high school) over four time periods using the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) screening tool. We then received school data for all students who participated in our screening pilot. Bivariate analyses examined the relationship between a positive ASQ score and school-related outcomes. Fully adjusted analyses using logistic regression and ANOVA were also conducted. All analyses were conducted using STATA SE 17.

Results: A total of 186 students participated in our screening pilot. A total of 38 (20.4%) had a positive ASQ. A majority of these students (57.5%, n=107) were Hispanic/Latine students. Bivariate analyses revealed significant relationships between positive ASQ score and race (p=0.04), having a special education plan of any kind (p=0.006), having a learning disability plan (0.05), being disciplined for inappropriate personal property use during the school year (p=0.005), being disciplined for use of tobacco during the school year (p=0.006), and total number of disciplinary actions the student received during the school year (p=0.004). Adjusted analyses demonstrated significant associations between positive ASQ scores and race (p=0.05) and having a special education plan of any kind (p=0.03).

Conclusion(s): This study highlights important findings that are relevant to the identification and support within the school setting of students who may be at risk for suicide, and particularly students within minoritized populations. Our findings align with previous literature demonstrating increasing rates of suicide among youth of color and demonstrate a need to provide additional support to students receiving special education services.