Suicide Risk and Intervention Among Homeless and Precariously Housed Youth

Abstract

Homeless adolescents and young adults who are suicidal may not have adequate access to support systems that will help to mitigate their struggle with suicidal feelings or emotional distress. Homeless adolescents and young adults present with increased risk factors that exacerbate their tenuous position in the society, highlighting the importance for outreach initiatives that are creative, engaging, and low barrier. This chapter reviews suicide prevalence rates and risk factors taking into consideration the myriad socio-ecological influences on homeless youth and young adults. Intervention guidelines will review assessment and safety planning techniques while highlighting the need to address suicidality immediately, efficiently, and thoughtfully. Finally, we will provide recommendations for tools and screeners that can assist with assessing suicidal ideation and developing safety plans. We also include an appendix of online resources for clinicians, youth, and families.