Guidelines Updated for Pediatricians in Relation to Suicidality

MONDAY, Dec. 11, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- 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.

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