Advances in Research on Adolescent Suicide and a High Priority Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents in the U.S., yet remarkably little is known regarding risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), relatively few federal grants and scientific publications focus on STBs, and few evidence-based approaches to prevent or treat STBs are available. This “decade in review” article discusses five domains of recent empirical findings that span biological, environmental, and contextual systems and can guide future research in this high priority area: 1) the role of the central nervous system; 2) physiological risk factors, including the peripheral nervous system; 3) proximal acute stress-responses; 4) novel behavioral and psychological risk factors; 5) broader societal factors impacting diverse populations; and several additional nascent areas worthy of further investigation.