Suicide Risk Screening for Youth with Developmental Disabilities in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Youth with developmental disabilities (DD) are often at increased suicide risk. However, clinician guidance on suicide prevention practices specific to the DD population is rarely available, which may result in care disparities. The current study examined whether rates of standard suicide risk screening in two pediatric emergency departments (ED) differed for youth with and without DD. Then, using data from a NIMH-funded initiative, we compared youth with and without DD on demographic, visit, and clinical characteristics to identify possible factors related to differences in screening rates. Disparities in the completion of suicide risk screening with youth with DD were identified in standard care but few differences were found across groups to suggest a rationale, holding important clinical and research implications.