Predictors of suicide coping self‐efficacy among youth presenting to a psychiatric emergency department

Introduction Low levels of youth‐reported self‐efficacy to cope with suicidal urges have been shown to prospectively predict repeat emergency department (ED) visits and suicide attempts, yet little is known about how self‐efficacy may change following receipt of crisis services or about factors that may strengthen self‐efficacy. Protective factors (e.g., parent‐reported youth competence, parent‐family connectedness, and receipt of mental health services) were examined in relation to self‐efficacy at the time of a psychiatric ED visit and 2 weeks later. Methods Participants were 205 youth (ages 10–17), presenting to a psychiatric ED due to a suicide‐related concern. Youth primarily identified as biological female (63%) and White (87%). Multivariate hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine candidate protective factors in relation to initial and follow‐up suicide coping self‐efficacy. Results Self‐efficacy significantly improved in the 2 weeks following the ED visit. Parent‐family connectedness was positively related to suicide coping self‐efficacy at the time of the ED visit. Parent‐family connectedness and receipt of inpatient psychiatric care following the ED visit were associated with higher follow‐up suicide coping self‐efficacy. Conclusions During the adolescent developmental period when suicidal thoughts and behaviors notably increase, study findings highlight potential malleable intervention targets, including parent‐family connectedness, that may strengthen suicide coping self‐efficacy.