SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION OF ADOLESCENT SUICIDE - ISSUES, OBSTACLES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Adolescent suicide continues to be a major concern among parents and s chool-based professionals. Because of the increased rate of adolescent suicide in recent years and the controversy surrounding the school's role in prevention, a variety of adolescent suicide-prevention efforts have been proposed. In this review, a number of adolescent suicide pr evention procedures are examined, along with available empirical resea rch regarding their effectiveness. Although research in this area is s omewhat limited, school personnel are nevertheless encouraged to be pr oactive in leading school-based prevention efforts. Conclusions and re commendations for school-based practitioners are presented.