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Suicide Among Diverse Youth pp 221–238Cite as

Family and Community Intervention in Suicide Prevention and Management

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Abstract

Suicide is a challenge for every community since it is a social problem and not just a mental health issue. Thus, successful suicide prevention and intervention programs must involve the family and community, specifically when concerned with youth of various races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and non-binary genders. These programs need to be attuned to the community’s financial and social needs, expressions of distress, unique risk factors for suicide, and preference of language. Such knowledge about the community allows programs to anticipate barriers in prevention and intervention models and to develop plans to overcome those barriers. This chapter reviews suicide prevention programs that used education to pediatricians, families, and communities to destigmatize mental health disorders while encouraging the use of appropriate resources and community protective factors. Additionally, the authors discuss interventions that target cultural and social factors of acute instances of suicide. Interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, attachment-based family therapy, and strategic structural-systems engagement were noted to be particularly effective for high-risk individuals. To further increase the effectiveness of these interventions, programs need political and financial support to allow adequate capacity in order to engage as many individuals as possible. More research focused on suicide prevention and interventions specific to minority youths is necessary for highlighting areas that are yet to be addressed.

“You can’t help but slip into the system of competitive insanity … We are not teenagers. We are lifeless bodies in a system that breeds competition, hatred, and discourages teamwork and genuine learning. We lack sincere passion. We are sick … Why is that not getting through to this community? Why does this insanity that is our school district continue?”

Carolyn Walworth – reflection on suicide contagion by a student in Palo Alto

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Grace Yoon for being dedicated to underserved youth who experience healthcare disparities. She contributed her valuable time and energy by researching different topics for the chapters and helping us materialize drafts into final version. This project would not have been successful without her support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St. #1007, Boston, MA, 02111, USA

    Neha Sharma DO & John Sargent MD

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  1. Neha Sharma DO
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  2. John Sargent MD
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Correspondence to Neha Sharma DO .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Cooper Medical School of Rowan, University Cooper Health System, Camden, New Jersey, USA

    Andres J Pumariega

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Neha Sharma

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Sharma, N., Sargent, J. (2018). Family and Community Intervention in Suicide Prevention and Management. In: Pumariega, A., Sharma, N. (eds) Suicide Among Diverse Youth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66203-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66203-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-66202-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-66203-9

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