Adolescent Medicine
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Epidemiology & Health Services Pathway
General Pediatrics
Health Services Research
Hospital Medicine
Injury Prevention
Mental Health
Public Health
Quality Improvement/Patient Safety
Scholarly Sessions
Highlighted Theme: Managing the Pediatric Mental Health Crisis
Alex Kemper (he/him/his)
Professor
Department of Pediatrics
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24 years. Recent vital statistics 2020 reveal an increase in the suicide rate, with Black teenagers showing the highest rate increase in suicide. This highlights the need to prioritize addressing social determinants of health that may contribute to disparities among underserved populations such as BIPOC youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. Pediatric providers are optimally positioned to identify youth at risk for suicide and connect them with life-saving interventions and mental health resources.
Suicide risk screening has been identified as a direct method to detect youth at risk for suicide who require further care. Medical settings are uniquely positioned to detect suicide risk as most young people who die by suicide visit a healthcare provider in the months, if not weeks prior to their death. There are many challenges to suicide risk screening, such as time, stigma, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic; yet there are now feasible ways to identify youth at risk for suicide and manage the crisis without overburdening pediatric practice workflows. Using evidence-based suicide risk screening tools and clinical pathways can eliminate barriers and make suicide prevention feasible. Through examples of translating research into practice, this expert panel of multidisciplinary suicide prevention researchers will discuss evidence-based tools and successful implementations of suicide risk screening as an opportunity to effectively and efficiently identify youth at risk and bridge them safely to mental health care.
Speaker: Jeff Bridge, PhD – Nationwide Children's
Speaker: Lisa M. Horowitz, PhD, MPH – National Institute of Mental Health
Speaker: Alex R. Kemper, MD, MPH, MS – Nationwide Children's Hospital
Speaker: Paul H. Lipkin, MD – Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins Medicine
Speaker: Tami D. Benton, MD – CHOP/PENN