School Division Policies Related to Suicide Prevention and Response

Authors

David Naff, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Fatemah A. Khawaji, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Morgan Meadowes, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Jill Flynn, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Meg Sheriff, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Lauren Powell, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Lisa Gwyn, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Tameka Burroughs, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Jean Samuel, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Original Publication Date

2023

Date of Submission

April 2023

Abstract

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among youth age 10-19, and is an increasing concern in the wake of COVID-19. K-12 schools are crucial spaces for offering mental health support to students, and can implement policies to help prevent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This MERC research and policy brief focuses on education policy related to suicide prevention and response. It is structured to answer five questions: 1) What are recent trends in youth suicide? 2) What does research show about school division policies that are effective in suicide prevention and response? 3) What policies in Virginia and the MERC region guide the prevention of suicide in school divisions? 4) What are the key takeaways and recommendations for preventing youth suicide through education policy?

Recommended Citation

Naff, D., Khawaji, F., Meadowes, M., Flynn, J., Sheriff, M., Powell, L., Gwyn, L., Burroughs, T., Samuel, J. (2023). School division policies related to suicide prevention and response. Richmond, VA: Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.

Is Part Of

VCU MERC Publications