Objective Over 15 million adolescents, many at high risk for pregnancy, use emergency departments (ED) in the United States annually, but little is known regarding reasons for failure to use contraceptives in this population. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers to and enablers of contraceptive use among adolescent females using the ED and determine their interest in an ED-based pregnancy prevention intervention. Study Design We conducted semi-structured, open-ended interviews with females in an urban ED. Eligible females were 14-19 years old, sexually active, presenting for reproductive health complaints, and at risk for pregnancy, defined as non-use of effective (per the World Health Organization) contraception. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded based on thematic analysis. Enrollment continued until no new themes emerged. A modified Health Belief Model guided the organization of the data. Results Participants (n=14) were predominantly Hispanic (93%), insured (93%), and in a sexual relationship (86%). The primary barrier to contraceptive use was perceived health risk, including effects on menstruation, weight, and future fertility. Other barriers consisted of mistrust in contraceptives, ambivalent pregnancy intentions, uncertainty about the future, partner's desire for pregnancy, and limited access to contraceptives. Enablers of past contraceptive use included the presence of a school-based health clinic and clear plans for the future. All participants were receptive to ED-based pregnancy prevention interventions. Conclusions The identified barriers and enablers influencing hormonal contraceptive use can be used to inform the design of future ED-based adolescent pregnancy prevention interventions.

Background The incidence of adolescent suicide is rising in the United States, yet we have limited information regarding short‐term prediction of suicide attempts. Our aim was to identify predictors of suicide attempts within 3‐months of an emergency department (ED) visit. Methods Adolescents, ages 12–17, seeking health care at 13 pediatric EDs (Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network) and one Indian Health Service Hospital in the United States were consecutively recruited. Among 10,664 approached patients, 6,448 (60%) were enrolled and completed a suicide risk survey. A subset of participants (n = 2,897) was assigned to a 3‐month telephone follow‐up, and 2,104 participants completed this follow‐up (73% retention). Our primary outcome was a suicide attempt between the ED visit and 3‐month follow‐up. Results One hundred four adolescents (4.9%) made a suicide attempt between enrollment and 3‐month follow‐up. A large number of baseline predictors of suicide attempt were identified in bivariate analyses. The final multivariable model for the full sample included the presence of suicidal ideation during the past week, lifetime severity of suicidal ideation, lifetime history of suicidal behavior, and school connectedness. For the subgroup of adolescents who did not report recent suicidal ideation at baseline, the final model included only lifetime severity of suicidal ideation and social connectedness. Among males, the final model included only lifetime severity of suicidal ideation and past week suicidal ideation. For females, the final model included past week suicidal ideation, lifetime severity of suicidal ideation, number of past‐year nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) incidents, and social connectedness. Conclusions Results indicate that the key risk factors for adolescent suicide attempts differ for subgroups of adolescents defined by sex and whether or not they report recent suicidal thoughts. Results also point to the importance of school and social connectedness as protective factors against suicide attempts.

Objective: Adolescents at risk for suicide are highly heterogeneous in terms of psychiatric and social risk factors, yet there has been little systematic research on risk profiles, which would facilitate recognition and the matching of patients to services. Our primary study aims were to identify latent class profiles of adolescents with elevated suicide risk, and to examine the association of these profiles with mental health service use (MHSU). Method: Participants were 1,609 adolescents from the Emergency Department Screen for Teens at Risk for Suicide (ED-STARS) cohort. Participants completed baseline surveys assessing demographics, MHSU, and suicide risk. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted at 3 months to assess suicide attempts. Participants met pre-established baseline criteria for suicide risk. Results: Using latent class analysis, we derived 5 profiles of elevated suicide risk with differing patterns of eight risk factors: history of multiple suicide attempts, past-month suicidal ideation, depression, alcohol and drug misuse, impulsive-aggression, and sexual and physical abuse. In comparison to adolescents who did not meet baseline criteria for suicide risk, each profile was associated with increased risk of a suicide attempt within 3 months. The MHSU was lowest for adolescents fitting profiles with previous (but no recent) suicidal thoughts and behavior, and for adolescents from racial and ethnic minority groups. Conclusion: Adolescents at elevated risk for suicide present to emergency departments with differing profiles of suicide risk. MHSU varies across these profiles and by race/ethnicity, indicating that targeted risk recognition and treatment linkage efforts may be necessary to reach some adolescents at risk.

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The rate of suicide among adolescents is rising in the US, yet many adolescents at risk are unidentified and receive no mental health services.OBJECTIVE To develop and independently validate a novel computerized adaptive screen for suicidal youth (CASSY) for use as a universal screen for suicide risk in medical emergency departments (EDs). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSStudy 1 of this prognostic study prospectively enrolled adolescent patients at 13 geographically diverse US EDs in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. They completed a baseline suicide risk survey and participated in 3-month telephone follow-ups. Using 3 fixed Ask Suicide-Screening Questions items as anchors and additional items that varied in number and content across individuals, we derived algorithms for the CASSY. In study 2, data were collected from patients at

Objectives To determine pregnancy risk and receptiveness to emergency department (ED)-based pregnancy prevention interventions among adolescents accessing care in the ED. Study design Cross-sectional electronic survey of adolescent females in a pediatric ED used to calculate the pregnancy risk index (PRI), a validated measure estimating the annual risk of becoming pregnant based upon recent sexual activity, contraceptive method(s), and method-specific contraceptive failure rates) and interest in receipt of ED-based contraceptive services. Results Of 229 participants, 219 were non-pregnant, and 129 reported sexual experience. 72.4% (n=166) endorsed negative pregnancy intentions. The overall PRI for the 219 non-pregnant participants was 9.6 (95% CI 6.8, 12.4), and was 17.5 (95% CI 12.8, 22.2) for the 129 sexually experienced participants. A PRI above the national average of 5 was associated with older age (aOR 3.0; 95% CI 1.5, 5.85), non-private insurance (aOR 7.1; 95% CI 1.6, 32.1), prior pregnancy (aOR 2.7; 95% CI 1.2, 6.0), and chief complaint potentially related to a reproductive health concern (aOR 2.6; 95% CI 1.4, 5.1). 85.1% (n=194) believed that the ED should provide information about pregnancy prevention, the majority of whom (64.9%; n=148) believed that pregnancy prevention services should be offered at all ED visits. Conclusion This study demonstrates a high unintended pregnancy risk among adolescents accessing care in the ED. Adolescents report interest in receiving pregnancy prevention information and services in the ED, regardless of reason for visit. Strategies to successfully incorporate the provision of reproductive health services into ED care should be explored.

Background Concerns have been raised about the utility of self-report assessments in predicting future suicide attempts. Clinicians in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) often are required to assess suicidal risk. The Death Implicit Association Test (IAT) is an alternative to self-report assessment of suicidal risk that may have utility in ED settings. Methods A total of 1679 adolescents recruited from 13 pediatric emergency rooms in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network were assessed using a self-report survey of risk and protective factors for a suicide attempt, and the IAT, and then followed up 3 months later to determine if an attempt had occurred. The accuracy of prediction was compared between self-reports and the IAT using the area under the curve (AUC) with respect to receiver operator characteristics. Results A few self-report variables, namely, current and past suicide ideation, past suicidal behavior, total negative life events, and school or social connectedness, predicted an attempt at 3 months with an AUC of 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84–0.90] in the entire sample, and AUC = 0.91, (95% CI 0.85–0.95) for those who presented without reported suicidal ideation. The IAT did not add significantly to the predictive power of selected self-report variables. The IAT alone was modestly predictive of 3-month attempts in the overall sample ((AUC = 0.59, 95% CI 0.52–0.65) and was a better predictor in patients who were non-suicidal at baseline (AUC = 0.67, 95% CI 0.55–0.79). Conclusions In pediatric EDs, a small set of self-reported items predicted suicide attempts within 3 months more accurately than did the IAT.