Training youth services staff to identify, assess, and intervene when working with youth at high risk for suicide

• Published in: Children and youth services review Vol. 86; pp. 308 - 315
• Main Authors: Osteen, Philip J., Lacasse, Jeffrey R., Woods, MaKenna N., Greene, Rachel, Frey, Jodi J., Lane Forsman, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Attitudes; Behavior; Child welfare; Children; Children & youth; Cruelty; Curricula; Evaluation; High risk; Intervention; Mental health; Risk assessment; Self-efficacy; Suicide; Suicide intervention; Suicides & suicide attempts; Training; Variance analysis; Youth; Youth mental health; Youth services; Child welfare; Suicide; Suicide intervention; Youth mental health
• ISSN: 0190-7409; 1873-7765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.02.008

Youth in the child welfare system are often at increased risk for suicide due to the numerous physical and psychological challenges they face. This study was a longitudinal assessment of the impact of suicide intervention training on staff's abilities to identify, assess, and intervene when working with these youth in a child welfare setting. Participants received an adapted version of the “Youth and Depression” suicide intervention curriculum (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 2010) designed to improve participants' attitudes toward suicide intervention, knowledge about suicide intervention, self-efficacy for engaging in intervention behaviors, and increased use of assessment and intervention behaviors over time. ANOVA tests yielded large effect sizes for increasing knowledge and self-efficacy. There were no statistical changes in attitudes and reluctance, but these were very positive even before training. Results for changes in the use of assessment and intervention skills were more modest but demonstrated some improvements from pre-training to post-training. Further refinement of the curriculum may yield larger and consistent improvements in intervention behaviors.
•Youth in the child welfare system are at increased risk for suicide as compared to youth in the general population.•Increasing intervention skills of youth services staff may reduce the burden of suicide attempts and deaths.•Results from this study indicate positive changes in core components of assessment and intervention practice behaviors.