Suicide assessment and treatment in pediatric primary care settings

Abstract

Topic This article will briefly review screening for depression and suicidal ideation in primary care and school‐based clinics, with a focus on in‐depth screening for imminent suicide risk, developing a safety plan, and incorporating handoffs to urgent and emergency mental health care personnel. The article will cover current definitions of levels of suicidal risk and clinic‐based protocols for a team approach to adolescents in crisis. Purpose To provide primary care and behavioral health nurses with evidence‐based suicide risk screening and assessment tools and best practices for using them in patient‐centered encounters with adolescents with suicidal thinking or behavior. Sources Used Journal articles, books, and reports. Conclusion Past studies have shown that many individuals who died by suicide had seen a primary care provider in 30 days before their deaths. Nurses in primary care settings should develop clinic‐based protocols for screening all adolescents for suicide risk, developing safety plans, and providing suicidal youth and families with monitoring, appropriate referrals, follow‐up, and support.

Addressing the Clinical Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Mental Health

“…Much like in addressing their physical needs, there are many factors to be considered when providing mental healthcare. Before initiating routine screenings, it is important to identify community resources for referral and what interventions the primary care setting can provide (Sisler, Schapiro, Nakaishi & Steinbuchel, 2020). For mental health issues, priority is given to safety concerns, like suicidal and homicidal ideation.…”

Contributions of health technologies in risk assessment for suicide behavior: an integrative review

“…The scientific literature considers that managing risk situations and identifying psychological, social and cultural conditions represent strategies to be initiated in primary care, which constitute an important care resource, as they present competencies for health promotion actions and comprehensive care based on control and prevention measures (40) .…”

Addressing the mental health needs of children/adolescents, families, and ourselves during our unprecedented COVID‐19 times

“…Çelebioğlu et al's (2020) article addresses children's and adolescents' most basic needs such as sleep in our electronically connected world. Sisler et al's (2020) paper review depression and suicidal ideation screening, risk assessment, and development of safety plans for nurses who are the first lines of care for children and adolescents seen in pediatric and primary care health settings We benefit from the input of teens who are involved in victimization in the reports by Albdour et al (2020) and the article by Kaplan and Çuhadar (2020) reports on teens levels of anger, self‐ anger, and aggression when living on the streets. Bounds et al (2020) in this issue challenges us to reframe and rename the most vulnerable youth among us: young people who experience homelessness, systems—involvement (juvenile justice and child welfare), and those youth who are unaccompanied minors in detention as “youth with socially complex needs.” This thought‐provoking paper asks how we might focus on the external factors/past histories of adverse childhood experiences and trauma as the focus of establishing acceptable, evidence‐based treatments informed by the collaboration with these youth with the highest intensity MH needs.…”