ASPIRES Research Projects
Youth suicide is a serious health issue. However, there is hope. Suicide is preventable.
Research is important for suicide prevention. We hope to improve how communities can identify at-risk kids and tailor prevention strategies to their specific needs by developing ways of screening them earlier and more often and understanding risk factors they may face. We are also working to provide communities with more options for treating youth in crisis. Finally, we aim to encourage safe firearm storage to protect at-risk children and teens from lethal suicide attempt methods.
Learn more about our four primary projects:
Stepped Approach to Reducing Risk of Suicide in Primary Care (STARRS-PC)
Most pediatric primary care doctors do not routinely screen their patients for suicide risk. However, research has shown primary care offices are an important setting for youth suicide prevention, so identifying at-risk kids during regular visits is important. Our goal is to increase and improve screening using tools that standardize when and how to screen and provide doctors with instructions on the steps to take based on results, while considering the experiences of patients and providers.
Principal Investigators
Acceptability, Feasibility, and Appropriateness of a System of Suicide Prevention Services for Youth with a Parental History of Suicide Attempt
A major risk factor for early onset suicidal behavior in children is a parental history of suicide attempt. This study will focus on identifying characteristics and clinical needs of youth with this risk factor to find the most fitting suicide prevention care practices specifically for these children. The perspectives of key stakeholders, including parents and clinicians, will be considered.
Principal Investigator
Intensive Crisis Intervention (ICI)
There is limited access to inpatient psychiatric care in many communities, but the services are still in high-demand and highly needed. We hope to find another option for providing short-term crisis care and stabilization services in a secure setting for youth in crisis who need more acute care and closer monitoring. We have developed an Intensive Crisis Intervention (ICI) as an alternative, and we will study it, compare it to traditional inpatient treatment, and work to improve it.
Principal Investigators
Anticipated Start Date: August 1, 2023
Safer Still
We know the importance of safe firearm storage in suicide prevention. We are developing an interactive web-based intervention, “Safer Still,” to help promote safe storage of firearms during the critical period immediately following high-risk care transitions and testing its effectiveness. We aim to educate parents of teens at high risk for suicide who have disclosed that they own firearms and acknowledged unsafe household storage practices and encourage them to adopt safer practices.
Principal Investigators
Anticipated Start Date: August 1, 2024
