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Pop Quiz: Youth Suicide Prevention

Youth suicide reached an all-time high in 2022, marking it as a pressing public health crisis. In a new position on youth suicide prevention, APNA emphasizes the essential role of psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses in reducing youth suicide through screening, risk assessment, and treatment planning. The paper was created by PMH nurse subject matter experts and offers a framework of key considerations to enhance the identification of suicide risk and improve care delivery, along with recommendations designed to elevate practice and increase your impact.

Put your knowledge to the test with these questions, drawn the APNA position paper on youth suicide prevention. Click each question to see the answer, along with supporting information presented in the position paper.

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1. Which of the youth involved in bullying are at increased risk of suicidal ideation and behaviors?

a. Victims
b. Perpetrators
c. Both

Answer: c. Both
“There is a strong association between bullying among youth, whether the victim or perpetrator, and suicidal ideation and behaviors (Holt et al., 2015). Being a victim of bullying is a significant predictor for suicide attempts in children, adolescents, and young adults (Ong et al., 2021). Both bullying and cyberbullying have been linked to suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors (Patchin & Hinduja, 2019; Alavi et al., 2015). Perpetrators of cyberbullying are also at increased suicide risk, particularly those with concurrent psychologic distress or psychiatric disorders (John et al., 2018; Kwan et al., 2020). Youth who report a history of both current suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt in the past year reported higher levels of both victimization and perpetration of bullying compared to those with no history of a suicide attempt (Vergara et al., 2019).”

Source: APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention (2024). https://www.apna.org/news/apna-position-youth-suicide-prevention/

2. One factor that significantly decreases suicide risk for youth experiencing houselessness is a health care encounter for any reason outside of mental health concerns within the last...

a. 90 days
b. 10 days
c. Year

Answer: a. 90 days
“Youth who experience houselessness have three times greater likelihood of attempting suicide compared to their stably housed peers (Smith-Grant et al., 2022). Further, they are at increased risk for being victim to violence, substance use, survival sex, and mental distress. Importantly, youth experiencing houselessness and having had a prior 90-day health care encounter for any reason outside of mental health concerns had significantly decreased suicide risk (Sakai-Bizmark et al., 2022).”

Source: APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention (2024). https://www.apna.org/news/apna-position-youth-suicide-prevention/

3. The Joint Commission mandates using validated tools to assess suicidal ideation for patients ages...

a. 18 and up
b. 12 and up
c. 10 and up

Answer: b. 12 and up
“TJC mandates using validated tools to assess for SI for patients ages 12 years and up (TJC, 2020).”

Source: APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention (2024). https://www.apna.org/news/apna-position-youth-suicide-prevention/

4. The Columbia Suicide Severity Scale is validated in youth ages...

a. 6 and older
b. 12 and older
c. It is not validated for youth.

Answer: a. 6 and older
“The Columbia Suicide Severity Scale can offer both screening and assessment of suicidal behavior/ideation and is validated in youth ages 6 and older (Posner et al., 2011; TJC, 2020).”

Source: APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention (2024). https://www.apna.org/news/apna-position-youth-suicide-prevention/

APNA Suicide Prevention Resources

APNA Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Essential Competencies for Assessment and Management of Individuals at Risk for Suicide

Essential competencies for PMH-RNs working in hospital settings as a guide for practice.

See the Competencies

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.

Learn More & Register

APNA Position: Youth Suicide Prevention

PMH nurses at all levels of practice can reduce suicide mortality by intervening with children, adolescents, and families across levels of care.

See the Position

Practical Nursing Strategies in Suicide Prevention

A self-paced online course for nurses in non-mental health settings in the nursing skills of suicide prevention, screening, and initial management of persons at risk for suicide.

Learn More & Register

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