Center for Suicide Prevention and Research
To save children’s lives and reduce suicide in Ohio and beyond through prevention efforts and cutting-edge research.
Center for Suicide Prevention and Research
The Center for Suicide Prevention and Research (CSPR) at Nationwide Children's Hospital was created to address the growing problem of suicide among youth in central Ohio.
If you ever have immediate/urgent concerns about your safety or the safety of anyone else, call 911.
Contact your mental health provider or a crisis line below if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Trained crisis counselors are standing by to help at all times.
You can also text “START” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or use the Lifeline Crisis Textline at crisistextline.org or chat at crisischat.org. In Ohio, you can also text “4HOPE.”
Crisis Response Team at Nationwide Children's: (614) 722-1800
Available 24/7. Ages 18 and older should call (614) 276-CARE (2273) or (888) 276-2273. For people living outside Franklin County, please call your county’s psychiatric crisis line number.
Center for Suicide Prevention and Research (CSPR) Strategic Goals
- Conduct research aimed at:
- Understanding the epidemiology of child and youth suicide and suicidal behavior.
- Examining risk and protective factors that contribute to youth suicide and attempted suicide
- Developing and testing evidence-based intervention strategies that reduce suicide and suicide attempts for youth in health care settings
- Implementing effective suicide prevention interventions and strategies in real world settings such as schools, community centers, and faith-based organizations
- Foster the development and implementation school-based programs (SOS: Signs of Suicide prevention program) to prevent youth suicide and attempted suicide in Ohio and promote methods for evaluating outcomes.
Why Our Research Matters
Nationally, suicide has emerged as the second leading cause of death for children ages 10-19 years old.
- Nearly 1 in 6 teens has seriously contemplated suicide in the past year.
- Suicide affects people of all backgrounds.
- Early identification of risk factors can aid behavioral health specialists in prevention strategies for youth at risk of suicide.
- Suicide is complex and tragic yet often preventable if communities are provided with the right tools.
In response to the Nationwide Children Hospital’s behavioral health initiative, the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research (CSPR) was created in 2015 to address the growing problem of suicide among youth. CSPR is a joint partnership with Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion and the Abigail Wexner Research Institute.
The Center for Suicide Prevention and Research is located in the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion (map and directions) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the largest and most comprehensive center dedicated exclusively to child and adolescent behavioral and mental health on a pediatric medical campus in the United States. This partnership between the Abigail Wexner Research Institute and the Big Lots Behavioral Health Services allows for the development and implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies.
Prevention
The primary focus of the Prevention Team in CSPR is implementing the SOS Signs of Suicide prevention program in area schools with enhanced support in training for school staff, counselors and families.
Additionally, the Prevention Team has engaged in national efforts to improve how journalists report on suicide and to promote a dialogue on youth suicide that reduces stigma, highlights practical prevention strategies and informs the community on what to look out for and how to help youth navigate emotional crises.
Free Guide to Youth Suicide Prevention
Youth Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Best Practices and Policy Implications is a free, open-access book edited by John Ackerman, PhD, and Lisa Horowitz, PhD, that reviews current research and prevention practices related to the public health crisis of youth suicide for all audiences. This SpringerBriefs series volume has been shared by national partners and accessed over 20,000 times.
Suicide Reporting Guidelines
The Prevention Team has engaged in national efforts to improve how journalists report on suicide and to promote a dialogue on youth suicide that reduces stigma, highlights practical prevention strategies and informs the community on what to look out for and how to help youth navigate emotional crises.
Suicide Prevention Book Download
We are excited to announce the publication of Youth Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Best Practices and Policy Implications edited by John Ackerman, PhD, and Lisa Horowitz, PhD. This open access book focuses on the public health crisis of youth suicide and provides a review of current research and prevention practices. It highlights what is currently working well in youth suicide prevention and, just as important, which areas require more attention and support. One of the unique features of this book is that its intended to be accessible by all audiences – policy makers, researchers, clinicians and advocates. Leaders in the field of suicide prevention address important topics, including:
- suicide epidemiology
- suicide risk detection in school and medical settings
- critical cultural considerations
- clinical approaches to reducing suicide risk
- perspectives of individuals with lived experience
Featured Prevention Resources for Families, Schools and Clinicians
Research
Researchers in the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research (CSPR) conduct epidemiological and intervention studies on child and youth suicide and suicidal behavior to inform policy, improve the delivery of services for suicidal youth, and ultimately prevent suicide and suicidal behavior.
Learn more about the research projects and publications of our investigators and research teams, including our epidemiological studies and publications on the increase in suicide deaths after Netflix's release of 13 Reasons Why, noncompliance surrounding the guidelines for reporting suicide deaths in the media after the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdaine and the disparities in black youth attempting and dying by suicide, and more.
Featured Topics
Research Labs
CSPR Researchers Awarded P50 Center Grant Funding to Support New ASPIRES Center
The Center for Accelerating Suicide Prevention in Real-World Settings (ASPIRES) aims to accelerate the development and implementation of effective interventions to reduce suicide in children and adolescents.
Supported by P50 Center grant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Center for Accelerating Suicide Prevention in Real-World Settings (ASPIRES) aims to accelerate the development and implementation of effective interventions to reduce suicide in children and adolescents. Jeff Bridge, PhD, director of the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research (CSPR) in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Cynthia Fontanella, PhD, a principal investigator in CSPR, lead ASPIRES and its investigators as co-directors.
The goal of the ASPIRES pilot program, Practice-Based Research on Youth Suicide Prevention, is to fund small-scale, innovative or exploratory research focused on youth suicide prevention.
Additional Prevention Resources
Local and State Organizations
- ADAMH Board of Franklin County
- Franklin County Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS)
- Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
- Suicide Prevention Program at The Ohio State University (OSU)
National Organizations and Other Resources
- American Association of Suicidology (AAS)
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)
- The Mighty
- The Trevor Project
Resources for Talking to Your Child After a Friend or Relative's Suicide
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Dougy Center- Supporting the Grieving Teen After Loss of a Close Friend
- Dougy Center- Supporting Children and Teens After a Suicide Death
- Talking With Children About Suicide Death (Geared Toward Younger Children)
- Other Suicide Prevention Resources and Resources for Suicide Attempt and Loss Survivors on NationwideChildrens.org
Featured Publications
2023
Fontanella CA, Steelesmith DL, Bridge JA. Importance of Place in Examining Risk for Suicide Among Youth. J Adolesc Health 2023 Jan 72 5-6
Slesnick N, Zhang J, Feng X, Mallory A, Martin J, Famelia R, Brakenhoff B, Yilmazer T, Wu Q, Ford J, Holowacz E, Jaderlund S, Hatsu I, Luthy E, Chavez L, Walsh L, Kelleher K. Housing and supportive services for substance use and self-efficacy among young mothers experiencing homelessness: A randomized controlled trial. J Subst Abuse Treat 2023 Jan 144 108917
2022
Llamocca, E. N., Fristad, M. A., Bridge, J. A., Brock, G., Steelesmith, D. L., Axelson, D. A., & Fontanella, C. A. (2022). Correlates of deliberate self-harm among youth with bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 302, 376–384.
2021
Fontanella, C. A., Steelesmith, D. L., Brock, G., Bridge, J. A., Campo, J. V., & Fristad, M. A. (2021). Association of cannabis use with self-harm and mortality risk among youths with mood disorders. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(4), 377–384. PMID: 33464286 PMCID: PMC7816117
Ruch, D. A., Heck, K. M., Sheftall, A. H., Fontanella, C. A., Stevens, J., Zhu, M., Horowitz, L. M., Campo, J.V., & Bridge, J. A. (2021). Characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide among children aged 5 to 11 years in the United States, 2013-2017. JAMA Network Open, 4(7), e2115683. PMID: 34313741 PMCID: PMC8317003
2020
Fontanella, C. A., Warner, L. A., Steelesmith, D., Bridge, J. A., Sweeney, H. A., & Campo, J. V. (2020). Clinical profiles and health services patterns of Medicaid-enrolled youths who died by suicide. JAMA Pediatrics, 174(5), 470–477. PMID: 32202589 PMCID: PMC7091475
2019
Bridge, J. A., Greenhouse, J. B., Ruch, D., Stevens, J., Ackerman, J., Sheftall, A. H., Horowitz, L. M., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V. (2020). Association between the release of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and suicide rates in the United States: an interrupted time series analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(2), 236–243. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31042568 PMCID: PMC6817407
Join Our Team
The team at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research is growing. Click the link below to view current job listings and to learn more about careers at Nationwide Children's Hospital.