Educator Effectiveness in Identifying Symptoms of Adolescents at Risk for Suicide

This study examined educators' capabilities to identify symptoms of adolescents at risk for suicide when influenced by the adolescent's race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Participants were 882 regular and special educators in a southeastern state who completed mailed questionnaires presenting hypothetical vignettes of adolescents at risk for suicide. Vignettes were varied according to the adolescents' gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Respondents rated 35 behaviors selected from the DSM III R as either covert or overt signs of suicidal behavior. Multivariate analysis of educator responses revealed no significant difference between the capabilities of regular and special educators to identify these symptoms, either covert or overt. However, all participants experienced some difficulty in accurately identifying these symptoms. Relationships among race, gender, and highest degree attained by educators were also identified. Implications for an expanded role of educators in the identification process of youth at risk for suicide are suggested. (Contains 4 tables.)