Navigating the Evidence: Youth Suicide Risk Screening in Focus

Sunday, April 27, 2025

7:00am – 8:30am HST

Location: Convention Center: 328

CE: 1.5

Selected By: PAS Program Committee Leadership Team
Co-sponsored By: SDBP, SAHM

Chair(s)

Cori Green, MD, MSc (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
General Academic Pediatrics
Weill Cornell Medicine
New York, New York, United States
John Parkhurst, PhD (he/him/his)

Director of Collaborative Care
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure(s):

Cori Green, MD, MSc: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

John T. Parkhurst, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents, highlighting the urgent need for effective risk identification. This symposium will bring together clinicians and researchers to discuss hot topics around suicide risk identification in pediatric settings.

Conflicting practice statements by the United States Preventive Task Force (USPTF) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) create challenges for pediatricians regarding who, when, and how to screen for suicide risk. Dr. Green will introduce differences in these practice guidelines, brining attention to the relative lack of evidence that informed USPTF’s recommendations. Dr. Rahmandar will discuss the AAP’s 2023 policy statement, advocating for universal screening using standardized suicide-specific tools.

Studies have demonstrated that screening for depression may not identify adolescents at increased risk of suicide, yet recent national survey data suggests this method is most often utilized by pediatricians. Dr. Leyenaar will share new results from a national survey of >5000 general and subspecialty pediatricians on current practices around suicide risk screening. Dr. Huttle will describe suicide risk detection strategies, including the use of sequential assessment tools to help reduce implementation barriers reported by pediatricians and enhance detection in pediatric primary care.

Pediatric health care systems are increasingly engaging in universal screening for suicide across medical settings, but responses to positive screening results are variable. Dr. Parkhurst will describe how one hospital system implemented universal prevention activities, including screening, assessment, and interventions. He will then facilitate an engaging discussion with the audience on these critical topics around suicide prevention practices.

Learning Objectives:

Review Evidence: Examine the research that shaped the recommendations from both the USPSTF and the AAP.
Discuss Implementation Challenges: Discuss current pediatricians’ practices, facilitators, and barriers to effective suicide risk screening, including the selection of evidence-based screening tools.
Elicit Audience Engagement: Facilitate a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of suicide risk screening and explore practical strategies for implementation

Presentations:

7:00am – 7:12am HST

Introduction to Hot Topics Around Suicide Risk Screening and the USPTF Recommendations
Speaker: Cori Green, MD, MSc (she/her/hers) – Weill Cornell Medicine
7:12am – 7:27am HST

13 Reasons Why to Screen for Suicide: Putting the AAP Guidance into Practice
Speaker: Maria H. Rahmandar, MD (she/her/hers) – Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
7:27am – 7:37am HST

Screening for Suicide Risk: A National Survey of General Pediatricians and Subspecialists
Speaker: JoAnna Leyenaar, MD PhD MPH (she/her/hers) – Dartmouth Health Children's
7:37am – 7:52am HST

Beyond Screening: Moving the Needle in Youth Suicide Prevention
Speaker: Alexandra Huttle, MD, MSc (she/her/hers) – Weill Cornell Medicine
7:52am – 8:07am HST

Moving Systems: Adopting Suicide Screening Across a Pediatric Hospital
Speaker: John T. Parkhurst, PhD (he/him/his) – Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
8:07am – 8:30am HST

Q & A