Relevant Resources

In the past decade or so, there has been a great deal of discouraging data demonstrating alarming trends in adolescent suicide published by peer-reviewed journals. However, it is important to acknowledge that not all publications are negative. In fact, some research papers provide promising results that could help in  the prevention efforts against adolescent suicide. Therefore, highlighting and publicizing these results is crucial for a proper assessment of their clinical implications.

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Positive outcomes often depend on parenting characteristics and styles. The data published on the topic of parenting brings to the light the importance of encouragement and reinforcement. The exposure to a mother's or father's warmth seems to have a protective effect on suicide attempts (15). Moreover, in terms of parenting styles, there is some evidence to support the idea that an authoritative parenting style seems to also have a protective effect (15). Consistently, the negative outcomes reported by other papers were rooted in a lack of warmth and parental-involvement. One finding reports that 12-13 year old children whose parents rarely express how proud they are of them are 7 times more likely attempt suicide than others (27).

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Other positive outcomes is concerned with different intervention programs. A research paper published by the American Journal of Public Health showcases one example of this; researchers designed a training program that was given to various "Peer Leaders". These individuals were better able to spot the tell-tale signs of suicidality. Thus, reporting of at-risk students to an adult increased becoming 4 times more likely (48). Similarly, a systemic review article published by BMC psychiatry noted that peer-support programs tend to positively affect measures such as hope and recovery (21). Nevertheless, data on such programs is very limited and is worth further exploration. Another research paper puts emphasis on the need to tailor therapies and interventions based on the patient's diagnosis and challenges. The paper noted that individuals with a high level of emotional dysregulation benefitted more from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy than Individual/group support therapy (2). Again, such interventions are worthy of more investigation.

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While the published data does demonstrate some negative trends, it also provides the healthcare and academic community with hope. Focusing on different types of intervention programs and conducting further research on peer-peer programs as well as on tailored therapeutic interventions could have significant impact on future prevention efforts. In addition, educating and informing parents on how to demonstrate warmth and parent with encouragement could possibly lead to the betterment of adolescent mental health on a large-scale.