Associations between youth suicide rates and state school personnel suicide prevention training requirements

Abstract

ObjectiveAs youth spend the majority of their time in school, school personnel suicide prevention training has gained support as an approach to mitigate rising youth suicide rates. This study examined associations between state school personnel suicide prevention training requirements (i.e., mandatory/non-mandatory and annual/not annual), year of legislation enactment (2013 or earlier/2014 or later), and changes in youth suicide rates by state from 2007 to 09 to 2016–18. MethodsSchool personnel suicide prevention training requirement data were collected through state-specific Department of Education websites while state-specific youth suicide rates were collected from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2020 National Vital Statistics Report. Data were analyzed using a mixed effects linear regression model. ResultsTraining is mandated in 40/50 (80 %) states; 19/50 (38 %) require annual training. All states demonstrated increases in youth suicide rates from 2007 to 09 to 2016–18 (mean increase 3.9/100,000 [sd = 1.8]), but the change did not differ significantly by state requirements for mandatory (p = 0.44) or annual (p = 0.70) training, nor for year of enactment of legislation (p = 0.45). ConclusionsSchool personnel suicide prevention training requirements were not associated with changes in the youth suicide rate, though study results are limited in that data was not available on how successfully schools implemented the required trainings.