Information sharing between psychiatric hospitals and schools to better support adolescents returning to school following a suicide-related crisis

Abstract

As rates of adolescent hospitalization for suicide-related crises increase, so does the urgency for improving adolescent school reintegration. Communication and collaboration are considered key mechanisms for continuity of care during times of transition; however, to date, few studies have identified critical information to share or have explored strategies for navigating challenges to information sharing during and following school reintegration. The present study explored previously hospitalized adolescent (n = 19), parent (n = 19), school professional (n = 19), and hospital professional (n = 19) views of information sharing and their perceptions of facilitators and barriers to this communication. Applied thematic analysis revealed three key themes related to the best information to share across entities, including the (a) need to consider environmental relevance to information (i.e., informing school supports and hospital treatment), (b) importance of considering information unique to each patient's circumstance (i.e., sharing information on a “case-by-case basis”), and (c) duality between families preferring to share minimal information but school professionals desiring the maximum (i.e., less is more vs. more is better). Regarding facilitators and barriers to information sharing, six key themes emerged, including (a) understanding risks and benefits of information sharing; (b) trust in hospitals and schools; (c) mental health stigma; (d) communication processes; (e) navigating individual, family, school, and community contexts; and (f) “push and pull” between privacy and need. Findings inform key considerations for collaborating with families in determining if and what information to share during school reintegration.