Cultural Considerations in Suicide Prevention and Intervention

Suicide remains a leading cause of death among adolescents and exists in detectable rates for younger children as well. Underserved ethnic and racial groups face barriers to effective mental health care, making it critical that school psychologists be prepared to incorporate cultural considerations for suicide prevention and intervention. School psychologists play a critical role in suicide prevention and are ethically responsible for maintaining current knowledge of the literature on prevention and intervention strategies for students at risk of suicide. This articles describes how culturally responsive suicide prevention and intervention includes developing an awareness of the disparities which exist in the communities school psychologists serve, engaging in self and systemic evaluations, developing awareness of different options for different populations, and committing to strategic improvements.