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Disciplines:
  • Counseling
  • Marriage and Family Therapy
Hours: 3 Contact Hours
Author(s): Edward A. Selby, PhD
Peer Reviewer(s): Thomas E. Joiner, Jr., PhD
Item#: C6508
Contents: 1 Course Book (72 pages)

Youth Suicide, Updated 1st Edition

Price $29.95
Item # C6508
When available, the Online Course format is included with the hard copy, eBook, or audio book formats!

Release Date: December 19, 2017

Expiration Date: December 19, 2020

Suicide and suicidal behaviors affect individuals, families, and communities, and addressing youth suicide has become a public health imperative. This intermediate-level course provides essential information on the tools needed to assess youth for suicide risk and to engage in interventions with these youth across various settings. Learners will become aware of 10 myths about youth suicide, which too often dictate how adults interact with youth who may be at heightened risk for suicide, both in public and in clinical practice. Four prominent theories of suicide are described: Durkheim’s sociological theory of suicide, Shneidman’s theory of the suicidal mind, Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide, and the family systems theory of suicide. Suicide risk factors are discussed, including psychiatric diagnoses, family and social factors, sexual minority status (individuals self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender), bullying, and demographic factors like age, gender, race, and ethnicity. 

Participants will learn about assessment approaches and treatment planning. A decision-making tree and safety planning and documentation protocols are provided.  The course reviews the use of psychopharmacology and of psychotherapies such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and attachment-based family therapy. A particular focus is placed on brief interventions that can be applied across multiple settings. Presentations of case vignettes illuminate key concepts for the various interventions. Special mention is given to clinicians who experience the loss of a patient to suicide. This course is designed for counselors, and marriage and family therapists.

Course Objectives

  • Differentiate myths from facts related to youth suicide.
  • Describe relevant terminology and theories of youth suicide.
  • Describe risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors related to suicide in youth.
  • Describe how to assess youth who may be at risk for suicide.
  • Explain various interventions to manage youth experiencing suicidal ideation and other risk factors for suicide.

Edward A. Selby, PhD, is an associate professor and director of clinical training in the clinical psychology program at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Dr. Selby’s extensive research and clinical experience has sought to improve understanding and treatment of suicidal behavior, personality disorders, and eating disorders. He has written more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters, and he was named a “Rising Star” in 2015 by the Association for Psychological Science. Much of his work is aimed at understand­ing the emotional experiences related to suicidal behavior, as well as the factors among different psychiatric disorders that increase risk for suicidal behavior. Dr. Selby’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Dr. Selby is a licensed practitioner and has been trained extensively in major treatments for suicidal behavior and crisis intervention, including cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based interventions.

Thomas E. Joiner, Jr., PhD, received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He is Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Florida State University–Tallahassee. Dr. Joiner’s work focuses on the psychology, neurobiology, and treatment of suicidal behavior and related conditions. Author of more than 475 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Joiner has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Residency Fellowship for his work on suicidal behavior in clients. He has received numerous awards, including the Young Investigator Grant from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the Edwin S. Shneidman Award for excellence in suicide research from the American Association of Suicidology, and research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Defense, and various foundations. He is editor of the American Psychological Association’s Clinician’s Research Digest, editor of the Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, and editor in chief of the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. He has authored or edited 17 books.iewe

  • Courses must be completed on or before the expiration date noted in the course description above.
  • You must score 75% or higher on the final exam and complete the course evaluation to pass this course and receive a certificate of completion.
  • Through our review processes, Western Schools ensures that this course content is presented in a balanced, unbiased manner and is free from commercial influence. It is Western Schools’ policy not to accept commercial support.
  • All persons involved in the planning and development of this course have disclosed no relevant financial relationships or other conflicts of interest related to the course content.