Strategies to Prevent Suicide in Schools and Communities

The Social Worlds and Youth Well-Being Study examines the impact of social environments on youth’s welfare, help-seeking, and resilience to identify strategies for improving youth mental health and suicide prevention in schools and communities. This study grew out of a shared desire between the Front Range School District (FRSD, a pseudonym) and the research team to identify new, sustainable, effective, and equitable strategies to improve suicide prevention in schools, families, and communities. This report presents our main findings from the study on the Colorado front range. The report discusses the strategies schools use to effectively prevent suicide, including building cultures of belonging, emphasizing whole child educational philosophies, and incorporating mental health into multi-tiered system of supports. The report also examines the important roles of families, mental healthcare, pediatricians and family medicine doctors, Safe2Tell, and faith communities in both suicide prevention and in supporting school-based suicide prevention. Finally, the report offers concrete policy recommendations and practical suggestions to improve suicide prevention in families, schools, and communities.