Caregiver Experiences of Adolescent School Reentry After Adolescent Hospitalization Due to Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: Recommendations to Improve Reentry Practices

Abstract

Background Suicide rates among adolescents increased over the past few decades. Following psychiatric hospitalization, many adolescents return to school, a context that can influence recovery. Families can play an integral role in supporting adolescents through the hospitalization and school reentry process; however, little research has focused on family experiences during adolescent school reentry. Grounded in ecological systems theory, the aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of caregivers whose children were hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) and provide recommendations for the school reentry process. Methods In‐depth interviews were conducted with caregivers (n = 19) whose adolescents returned to school following hospitalization for suicide‐related crises. Researchers analyzed the transcribed interviews using applied thematic analysis. Results Themes emerged regarding academic difficulties during hospitalization; breakdowns in communication between schools, families, and hospitals; logistical challenges during the school reentry planning process; and challenges navigating peer relationships and academics following school reentry. Implications and Conclusions Few reentry recommendations account for the specific challenges faced by families. Recommendations informed by caregiver experiences are needed to ensure that families can effectively support the recoveries of their children. This study presents caregiver‐informed recommendations to facilitate an improved reentry process for caregivers and adolescents.

An Exploratory Study of Educators’ Perspectives Towards Hospital School Program Support for Children with Special Health Care Needs After Hospitalization

“…While the importance of supporting students with chronic illness upon their re-entry into their school of record has been noted, there is a scarcity of literature examining students’ transitions from inpatient hospitalizations to school settings ( Blizzard et al, 2016 ; Canter & Roberts, 2012 ). For example, although some literature exists highlighting the role of support personnel such as special education teachers ( Simon & Savina, 2010 ), school psychologists ( Marraccini & Pittleman, 2022 ), and school counselors ( Vanderburg et al, 2023 ), this remains an area ripe for exploration ( Barraclough & Machek, 2010 ; Hinton & Kirk, 2015 ; Rodriguez et al, 2024 ). There is also a lack of research focusing on the role the hospital plays in transitioning students back to school and a limited understanding of the perspectives of school of record educators during this transition ( Rodriguez et al, 2024 ).…”

Supporting Students’ Re-Entry and Reintegration After Crises: A Framework for School Counselors to Promote Mental Health and Safety

“…Despite the lack of protocols and procedures within the school counseling literature for students' successful reintegration, efforts to establish best practices within schools have originated from the medical and psychiatric professions (Clemens et al, 2010(Clemens et al, , 2011 and from school psychology (Marraccini et al, 2022a;Vanderburg et al, 2023). Together, these studies have contributed to our understanding of the important factors that serve as barriers to or positively contribute to successful re-entry and reintegration.…”

“…Parents and Legal Guardians. Parents and legal guardians, referred to throughout the remainder of this article as parents, are critical collaborators for students' successful re-entry and reintegration into school following psychiatric hospitalization (Blizzard et al, 2016;Vanderburg et al, 2023). As such, researchers have sought to understand their experiences of the reintegration process to better inform the support needed (Blizzard et al, 2016;Vanderburg et al, 2023).…”

“…Some specific concerns regarding the school setting included challenges in monitoring their child's social/emotional functioning and academic progress (Blizzard et al, 2016;Vanderburg et al, 2023). Parents also noticed breakdowns in communication between hospitals, schools, and home, which created additional barriers to successful reintegration (Vanderburg et al, 2023). Vanderburg et al (2023) noted specific recommendations for practice that emerged from the research on parent and guardian experiences during reintegration.…”

“…Re-entry and reintegration are two separate yet related concepts. Re-entry is a term that depicts students' physical arrival back at school after suicide-related hospitalization (Vanderburg et al, 2023). This typically involves a meeting between school officials, the student, and the student's parents/ guardians, where support and accommodations are discussed.…”