Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, globally the third leading cause of death for youth in 2021 was death by suicide (2024). In the United States of America, more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth have seriously considered suicide (The Trevor Project, 2020). The suicide rate among people aged 10–24 increased 62% from 2007 through 2021(Curtin & Garnett, 2023), with the number of youth deaths by suicide increasing significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic (Bridge, et al., 2023). Reducing suicidality among youth requires an immediate and comprehensive approach involving all sectors that serve the youth population. Schools and libraries are particularly positioned to lay the groundwork for this through the frequent and sustained contact they have with adolescents. Suicide clusters, defined as an increase in suicide or attempted suicide in a certain time period or location, have been associated with exposure to media depictions of suicide, as noted by an 29% increase in suicide rates following the release of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why,” which depicts a teenager’s death by suicide (Hua, et al., 2024). It is possible that curating a collection of young adult books with suicide prevention as a major theme may help to reduce the prevalence of suicidality in youth. This poster session shares summaries of several young adult novels featuring suicide prevention and resources for using these books with adolescents.
Presenters
Katherine Higgs CoulthardAssociate Professor, Education, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana USA, Indiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Self-Harm, Suicide, Suicide Prevention, Psychological Health, Youth, Health Education, Literature
