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ED-STARS Study

Emergency Department Screen for Teens at Risk for Suicide (ED-STARS) Study

NIH Reporter

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Dates: 8/5/2016-6/30/2019

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens ages 12 to 17, and many young people at risk are never identified or treated. This project aimed to help emergency departments better recognize youth who may be in danger. In the first part of the study, more than 6,000 teens visiting one of 14 emergency departments were asked questions to check for suicide risk, and some of them were contacted again a few months later. Researchers created a new computer‑based screening tool that adjusts its questions based on each teen’s answers, and they compared it to a commonly used screening method. They also tested whether a special thinking‑based test can help identify risk in teens who may not openly talk about suicidal thoughts. In the second part of the study, another large group of teens completed these tests so researchers could see how well the tools predict future suicide attempts. The goal was to create a screening system that emergency departments across the country can use to quickly and accurately find teens who need help. Better screening can lead to earlier support, better care, and fewer teen suicides.

Selected Primary Outcome Papers:

  1. PubMed Central - Adolescents' Engagement with Crisis Hotline Risk-Management Services: A Report from the Emergency Department Screen for Teen Suicide Risk (ED-STARS Study)
  2. PubMed Central - Predicting 3-Month Risk for Adolescent Suicide Attempts Among Pediatric Emergency Department Patients
  3. PubMed Central - Successful Suicide Screening in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Youth, Parent, Researcher, and Clinician Perspectives
  4. PubMed Central - Five Profiles of Adolescents at Elevated Risk for Suicide Attempts: Differences in Mental Health Services Use
  5. PubMed Central - The Cost of Universal Suicide Risk Screening for Adolescents in Emergency Departments
  6. PubMed Central - Prospective Development and Validation of the Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth
  7. PubMed Central - Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide Among Sexual Minority Youth Seeking Emergency Medical Services
  8. PubMed - Understanding Adolescent Responses to Differently Worded Suicide Attempt Questions: Results from a large US pediatric sample
  9. PubMed Central - A Comparison of Self-Reported Risk and Protective Factors and the Death Implicit Association Test in the Prediction of Future Suicide Attempts in Adolescent Emergency Department Patients
  10. PubMed Central - Prediction of Suicide Attempts and Suicide-Related Events Among Adolescents Seen in Emergency Departments
  11. PubMed Central - Management of Suicidal Risk in the Emergency Department: A clinical pathway using the computerized adaptive screen for suicidal youth
  12. PubMed Central - A Prospective Examination of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents
  13. PubMed Central - Social Connectedness and Adolescent Suicide Risk
  14. PubMed - Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Gender-Minority Adolescents in the Emergency Department