Focus Groups with Youth to Enhance Knowledge of Ways to Address Youth Suicide

Abstract

Used focus groups to describe (1) the pressures faced by young people in New Zealand, (2) whether suicide is an issue for young people, (3) the barriers to utilizing existing services/resources, and (4) what strategies could be introduced that would be appropriate and accessible for young people. 12 focus groups were conducted with a total of 140 young people aged 16–24 yrs. The Ss felt that suicide was an issue that was a reality for them and their peers. They felt that a build-up of a series of crisis rather than 1 major issue contributed to suicidal ideation and behavior. They also felt that young people would try to cope with a crisis on their own by drinking, using drugs, or participating in other risk-taking behaviors. They also found it difficult to cope with the complexities of suicide when the whole area was taboo. The study highlighted a range of strategies that may have implications for the prevention of youth suicide, including the need for health promotion media campaigns targeted at providing information on how and where to access information, the development of ways to improve the identification of at-risk youth, and the allocation of resources to ensure that emergency department staff have the skills to ensure that proper clinical care is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)