NCJ Number
110186
Journal
Medical Care Volume: 25 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1987), Supplement Pages: 57-65
Date Published
1987
Length
9 pages
Annotation
To derive preliminary estimates of the effectiveness of various interventions in decreasing juvenile suicides, this study developed a questionnaire to solicit the subjective judgments of experts on various aspects of youth suicide.
Abstract
The interventions examined in the questionnaire are restriction of access to firearms, medications, and high places; affective education; crisis centers and hot lines; school-based screening; improved treatment; and the identification of high-risk youth. There was a variety of opinion among the experts about the effectiveness of these interventions, and none of the interventions is expected to have a significant enough impact to be a 'cure' for youth suicides. There is no clear preference for the experts among the interventions; and due to the lack of good information, it is not reasonable at this time to expect experts to predict accurately which interventions are most effective. The recommended strategy is to analyze current information, conduct short-term research to obtain empirical data on the effectiveness and cost of various interventions, analyze the results to set preliminary priorities, design pilot projects, and evaluate the pilot projects to plan large-scale interventions. 13 references and 3 figures.