Utah Youth Suicide Study: Evidence-Based Suicide Risk Reduction for Juvenile Offenders

One of the most devastating consequences of undiagnosed, untreated, or under-treated mental illness is suicide. Utah Youth Suicide Study findings demonstrated that 63% of youth who died by suicide had contact with the juvenile courts. Utah's Juvenile Court provided opportunities for suicide prevention, as nearly 70% of juvenile offenders screen positive for mental health problems. Youth in the intervention group of this pilot study, who received appropriate mental health screening, referral for treatment and rapid access to psychiatric and in-home family services demonstrated significant mental health status improvement, as well as increased suppression, which decreased the length of time spent in out-of-home court placements. Findings highlight the importance of ensuring continuity of mental health care for juvenile offenders before out-of-home court placement. Ideally, mental health screening, referral, and treatment should be initiated when youth enter the juvenile court system in probation settings, a time when youth remain with their families.