Researchers recommend training ED physicians on suicide risks in children and teens

With most young people who die by suicide interfacing with the health care system sometime in the year before, there are opportunities for preventing this. On the other hand, most children and adolescents evaluated for mental health conditions in the emergency department (ED) did not get an appointment with a mental health professional within a week. Researchers have looked at the data and conclude that there needs to be a more standardized and reliable way to screen children and adolescents for suicide risk.