Expanding care with strategies for youth suicide prevention
With suicide now the second leading cause of death for children aged 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15-19, education on youth suicide prevention for nurses is crucial. The new APNA Additional Strategies in Suicide Prevention education, which expands on the core skills developed in the APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program, includes a course that will help you target your care for youth at risk for suicide. Crafted by psychiatric-mental health nurse experts in suicide prevention, the four courses give specialized practice guidance and practical, real-world strategies for populations at risk.
Lisa C. Farmer, BSN, RN-BC, LMSW, is the subject matter expert behind Additional Strategies in Suicide Prevention: Youth. Farmer has been in nursing for 40 years, and a psychiatric-mental health nurse for about 20 years. And she has a history of involvement with the APNA suicide prevention program since its beginning.
“When I learned about APNA’s pilot for an evidence-based training for nurses, I was thrilled,” Farmer says. “Looking at ways to tailor the training for special populations has been hugely beneficial to our profession and for the settings in which we work.”
APNA: What can you share about your background in youth suicide prevention. What drew you to this work?
Farmer: As a psychiatric nurse, and having served in the clinical educator role, I noticed that the trainings on suicide prevention were not focused on the discipline of nursing but primarily tailored toward psychologists, psychiatrists, and other Master’s level therapists. Suicide prevention is a huge focus for all levels of care and very relevant for managing patients on an inpatient [psychiatric unit] who have suicide risk.
“I noticed that the trainings on suicide prevention were not focused on the discipline of nursing but primarily tailored toward psychologists, psychiatrists, and other Master’s level therapists…”
APNA: What do you hope those taking this training will take away from it?
Farmer: My hope is that the individuals attending this training will understand some of the unique differences in children and adolescents related to suicide risk. Specifically, the fact that their brains have not matured, that they are in the very “here and now” [and how that] can impact some of the risk factors. We need to understand that youth are in a vulnerable place and having the ability to stay connected with them and having them feel the trust in opening up to safe adults is crucial.
APNA: Youth suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts among youth have increased in the last decade. How does this course examine specific challenges when providing care for youth at risk for suicide?
Farmer: We had been seeing a rise in suicide concern for years, and it certainly became more openly discussed during the pandemic. The concern existed before that, but the number of attempts increased following the pandemic due to the variables of isolation, stressors in the family, and multiple other factors. We’ve known for years that having family involvement in the treatment of children and adolescents in pediatric [mental health care] is essential, and certainly relevant when looking specifically at suicide risk. It’s important to be able to work with the family when it comes to recognizing risk factors, keeping lines of communication open, and offering family education on healthy interactions (communication, problem solving, etc.). The research has shown that involving the family increases the likelihood of better outcomes for youth.
APNA: How will the case studies included in the course help nurses develop skills? What tools do the case studies help apply?
Farmer: Case studies help us put the content we learn into action by practicing the specific skills. The tools of identifying risk factors, warning signs, and mitigating factors are essential when formulating prevention-oriented risk. It also allows us to think ahead for interventions we can utilize during the inpatient stay and developing a useful safety support plan.
Edited for length and clarity.
Published July 2025
Additional Strategies in Suicide Prevention: Youth
Supplemental Course to the APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program
Contact Hours: 2.0 contact hours
Target Audience: RN, APRN
Presenter: Lisa C. Farmer, BSN, RN-BC, LMSW
The prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plans, and suicide attempts among youth has risen over the past decade. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for children aged 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15-19 (APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention).
Building on the practical skills learned in the APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program, this course will increase your knowledge, skills, and critical thinking when providing care to youth at risk for suicide.
MORE SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES FROM APNA
- APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate Program This online certificate program builds the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking of psychiatric-mental health nurses (PMH-RNs) who care for persons at risk for suicide. This program content is presented by leaders in the field of psychiatric-mental health nursing with content matter expertise.
- APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention It is the position of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) that psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses at all levels of practice can reduce suicide mortality by intervening with children, adolescents, and families across levels of care through youth-relevant suicide screening, risk assessment, and treatment planning.
- APNA Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Essential Competencies for Assessment and Management of Individuals at Risk for Suicide
About APNA: The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is a national professional membership organization committed to the practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems, and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders. APNA’s membership is inclusive of all psychiatric-mental health registered nurses including associate degree, baccalaureate, advanced practice (comprised of clinical nurse specialists and psychiatric nurse practitioners), and nurse scientists and academicians (PhD). APNA serves as a resource for psychiatric-mental health nurses to engage in networking, education, and the dissemination of evidence. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
