Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.), and the prevalence of suicidal behaviors continues to increase while demographic trends shift. A notable yet understudied trend includes the alarming surge of suicidal behaviors in individuals 12 years of age and younger. Despite awareness of this health issue, there remains a large gap in the literature with respect to nonrandom variance or possible systematic error in suicide risk assessment practices. Moreover, research on school-based risk assessment practices and referral recommendations is limited. This gap persists even though schools have both a legal and ethical obligation to support at-risk students and occupy a unique position to fulfill this responsibility. To address this gap, the present study examined differences in risk assessment practices and referral recommendations based on student developmental age. Considering the growing number of young students exhibiting suicidal behaviors, it is of significant importance to understand and minimize errors in the assessment process so that school-based suicide prevention efforts may be strengthened and student outcomes may be improved.
Date
7-9-2025
Recommended Citation
Levins, Parker A., "Impact of Developmental Age on Suicide Risk Appraisal and Referral Recommendation" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6849.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6849
Committee Chair
Long, Anna
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.6849