Barriers and Facilitators to Suicide Risk Screening and Management for Autistic Youth

To address rising youth suicide rates and identify at-risk youth in need of intervention, suicide risk screening and management has been recommended across pediatric care settings, and it is mandated across inpatient and outpatient settings for youth with behavioral health challenges. Unfortunately, the unique needs of autistic youth are rarely considered in these recommendations. Data are surprisingly limited on barriers and facilitators to suicide risk screening and management, though emerging research suggests there may be shared and distinct implementation factors for autistic and non-autistic youth. Partnering with individuals from the autism community, this study will employ a mixed method research design to develop a comprehensive understanding of these barriers and facilitators from the perspectives of both specialized and non-specialized mental health clinicians and caregivers of autistic youth. Using data on barriers related to modifiable attitudes and behaviors of caregivers and clinicians from the first phase of the proposed study, we will then develop, evaluate, and disseminate educational materials that will provide information and tools to encourage the implementation of routine suicide risk screening with autistic youth. The results of this study will inform the development of future clinical innovations in autism suicide prevention, such that strategies can be employed to improve the feasibility and sustainability of these practices in real-world settings.