Guidelines Updated for Pediatricians in Relation to Suicidality
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Dec. 11, 2023 -- Guidelines have been updated in relation to addressing suicide and suicide risk among adolescents, according to a clinical report published online Dec. 11 in Pediatrics.
Noting that suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10- to 24-year-olds in the United States, Liwei L. Hua, M.D., Ph.D., from South Bend Clinic in Indiana, and colleagues updated a previous report to provide pediatric health care providers with guidance in relation to suicidality.
According to the report, pediatricians and pediatric care providers should be mindful of individual, relationship, and community/societal factors when addressing suicide risk. As part of well-child visits, providers should screen for suicide risk starting at age 12 years and during higher-risk situations; screening only for depression is not sufficient for identifying suicide risk. Adolescents should be screened for suicide risk during emergency department visits and medical hospitalizations. Since substance use is often associated with depression and self-treatment is a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, adolescents should be screened for substance use. A brief suicide safety assessment and subsequent safety planning and/or referrals should be conducted as appropriate if a suicide screen is positive. Access to lethal means should be assessed during all adolescent health supervision visits, especially for adolescents with suicidal thoughts. When possible, the family should be included in suicide prevention and treatment efforts, because these interventions have been shown to be effective.
"Pediatricians and pediatric providers can open the door to discuss suicidality through screening and have an important role in the care of adolescents who present with these thoughts or associated changes in behavior/functioning," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
Globally, Suicide Risk Increased on Certain Days of the Week, Holidays
MONDAY, Oct. 28, 2024 -- Suicide risk is highest on Mondays and increases on New Year's Day in most countries, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in The...
Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death Elevated for Patients With Psychiatric Disorders
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2024 -- Patients with psychiatric disorders have an increased rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to a study published online Oct. 22 in...
Risk for Suicidal Ideation, Attempts Down With GLP1-RA Treatment in Teens With Obesity
TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2024 -- For adolescents with obesity, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) treatment is associated with a reduced risk for suicidal ideation or...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.