Addressing Youth Firearm Suicide: Clinical, Policy, and Research Approaches

Chair(s)

• 

  Lois Lee, MD, MPH (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  Emergency Medicine
  Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Session

Description: Youth suicide deaths in the U.S. have risen to record high levels in recent years driven by a near doubling in the rate of firearm suicides over the past decade. Firearms have become the most common method used in suicide for youth 10-19 years old. While non-firearm youth suicide rates vary up to 6-fold across states, a 26-fold range in firearm suicide rates exist between states. Continued advocacy is critical to support clinical and community-based prevention efforts, promote evidence-based firearm-related legislation, and increase research funding to develop best practices for decreasing pediatric firearm suicide.

This hot topic symposium will present the latest research to educate pediatric researchers about the intersection of two public health epidemics among US youth--suicide and firearms. In this session we will discuss the epidemiology and risk factors for youth suicide, the role of firearms in youth suicide, approaches to prevention through firearm secure storage counseling, and the history, current landscape, and future needs of policies and research priorities.

This symposium will feature four speakers who will discuss the following:
1) Introduction to Addressing Youth Firearm Suicide in the U.S.—Lois Lee
2) The epidemiology of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide deaths among U.S. youth—Bijan Ketabchi
3) Identification of risk factors for firearm suicide at the individual and population level —Becca Bell
4) Evidence-based approaches to firearm secure storage counseling by healthcare professional and health systems—Kiesha Fraser Doh
5) Emerging policy and research priorities to address firearm suicide in U.S. youth.—Eric Fleegler
6) Q&A

Presentations:

• 3:45 PM – 3:55 PM ET

  Introduction to Addressing Youth Firearm Suicide in the U.S.
  

  Speaker: Lois K. Lee, MD, MPH (she/her/hers) – Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• 3:55 PM – 4:10 PM ET

  The epidemiology of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide deaths among U.S. youth
  

  Speaker: Bijan Ketabchi, MD, MPH (he/him/his) – Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• 4:10 PM – 4:25 PM ET

  Identification of risk factors for firearm suicide at the individual and population level
  

  Speaker: Rebecca Bell, MD, MPH (she/her/hers) – The University of Vermont Children's Hospital
• 4:25 PM – 4:40 PM ET

  Evidence-based approaches to firearm secure storage counseling by healthcare professional and health systems
  

  Speaker: Kiesha Fraser Doh, MD (she/her/hers) – Emory University School of Medicine/ Childrens' Healthcare of Atlanta
• 4:40 PM – 4:55 PM ET

  Emerging policy and research priorities to address firearm suicide in U.S. youth
  

  Speaker: Eric Fleegler, MD MPH (he/him/his) – Harvard Medical School
• 4:55 PM – 5:15 PM ET

  Q&A