School-Based Suicide Prevention With African American Youth in an Urban Setting

Youth in urban settings are at significant risk for suicide and other mental health issues, but little is known about the utility or outcomes of suicide prevention programs with this population. This article reviews the outcomes of a grant-funded initiative to provide suicide screening to urban, African American youth. Columbia TeenScreen was implemented at 13 middle and high schools in Washington, DC, to 229 Black or African American students. Forty-five percent of students screened positively for previous suicide attempt or ideation, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and/or other emotional problems. Twenty percent of all youth screened endorsed current or previous suicidal ideation or attempts. Over 90% of youth endorsed at least some problem with depression or irritability. Early detection of risk factors through universal screening can lead to earlier treatment, thwarting a suicidal crisis. Implications for conducting screening in an urban setting and how psychologists can engage in screening are explored.