COVID-19 takes adolescent suicide prevention to less charted territory.

Abstract

The last decade saw an increase in national attention to suicide as the second leading cause of death among adolescents [1] and for increased youth suicide prevention efforts. Adolescents at highest risk are typically referred to emergency departments for assessment and immediate safety management, and those who cannot be maintained safely at home are often hospitalized on inpatient psychiatric units until risk decreases. At the outpatient level, mental health interventions include individual and group psychotherapy, family and collateral sessions, and medication management. However, the implementation of social distancing for minimizing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has limited the availability of traditional “in-person” interventions to treat adolescents at risk for suicide. How do we best address the mental health needs of suicidal adolescents during the largest public health crisis of our lifetimes? This question presents an unprecedented challenge for mental health providers, researchers, and families. (from Introduction).