Mission Statement
We are an interdisciplinary network of researchers dedicated to the study of youth suicidal behavior among diverse populations (i.e., diversity based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, and ability), with an emphasis on understanding and decreasing disparities.
Recognizing that contemporary models of suicide tend to rely on research with adult populations – despite a higher onset and growing prevalence of suicidal behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood – our first goal is to leverage our collective expertise to improve research on youth suicidal behavior, suicide prevention, and treatment. Furthermore, the increasing diversity of the US population, particularly among youth (link), suggests a pressing need for theories and research that address issues of diversity. Thus, our second goal is to increase research on suicide among underrepresented populations of youth by fostering multilevel and cross-disciplinary conceptualizations of youth suicide and self-harm in the United States and other parts of the world. Additionally, we want to disseminate what we know among families, teachers, clinicians, youth, policy makers, media, and other consumers who are not researchers or academics but for whom suicidal behaviors are of concern. Lastly, we seek to empower researchers from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to advance in their careers by mentoring aspiring and junior researchers interested in the study of youth suicidal behavior.
We will accomplish these goals by:
1) helping to increase the diversity of researchers conducting studies of youth suicide;
2) developing multi-site collaborations among researchers with diverse areas of expertise;
3) providing professional development opportunities to researchers to increase the impact of their work; and
4) connecting with community-based providers who serve diverse youth at risk for suicidal behavior.