Category: Suicide and Self-Injury
Jennifer Poon, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Jarrod Leffler, ABPP, Ph.D.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
Alexandra Bettis, PhD
Assistant Professor
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
nashville, Tennessee
Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Brooke Ammerman, Ph.D.
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
Sarah Thomas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Jennifer Poon, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
In March 2020, COVID-19 radically altered the daily lives of adolescents worldwide: disrupting their routines, changing their coping methods, and exacting an immense—and, yes, unprecedented—toll on their psychological well-being. Paralleling and intersecting with other social and health inequities, COVID-19 has had a particularly deleterious impact on our most vulnerable, including psychiatrically hospitalized teens, especially those with acute suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Pre-COVID, suicide was already the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. Recent research has revealed that the pandemic has been linked to increases in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, substance use, and psychological distress in some youth. These consequences are likely the result of myriad factors, including pre-existing psychiatric acuity, premorbid functioning, changes related to public health and safety (e.g., school closures, social distancing measures, stay-in-place orders, changes in employment and housing), and concomitant increases in familial conflict, social isolation, and other contextual factors. The impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of our youth represents an enormous public health concern and has highlighted many gaps in how we assess, treat, and care for youth mental health. However, adolescent inpatient samples remain underrepresented in efforts to document the psychological and behavioral sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth, despite their well-documented history of psychopathology, high risk of suicidality, and higher need for continuing care. This symposium presents information on some of the following questions: How has the pandemic influenced rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among psychiatrically acute adolescents? What psychological factors may influence adolescents’ compliance with public health guidelines? Have any teens considered contracting COVID-19 as a means of attempting suicide? How has the pandemic impacted teens’ motivation to use—and choice of—substance(s)? How has the pandemic uniquely affected gender and sexual minority teens? The content of this symposium directly aligns with the ABCT 2022 Convention theme of Emergency & Disaster Preparedness, with clear implications for scientists and clinicians alike working with psychiatrically acute populations. The five studies included in this symposium span an impressive and informative time period, from Jan 2018 to June 2021—with follow-up analyses planned through Oct 2022. In addition to examining the links between COVID-19 and suicidality, stress, and psychopathology more broadly, the authors also examine specific COVID-related stressors and outcomes. Taken together, these studies provide a snapshot of how COVID impacted an already high-risk group of adolescents and provide insight into the lived experiences of youth with mental illness before, during, and after the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative to equip future generations with the evidence-based psychological tools needed to reduce their need for hospitalization and to effectively cope with the existential threats faced by our global society.Learning Objectives:
Presenter: Alexandra Bettis, PhD – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Co-author: Anastacia Y. Kudinova, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D. – Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Sarah Thomas, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jacqueline Nesi, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Leyla Ergudar, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Heather MacPherson, Ph.D. – William James College
Co-author: Taylor A. Burke, Ph.D. – Harvard Medical School
Co-author: Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D. – Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brown University
Presenter: Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D. – Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Sarah Thomas, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Taylor A. Burke, Ph.D. – Harvard Medical School
Co-author: Jacqueline Nesi, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Heather MacPherson, Ph.D. – William James College
Co-author: Alexandra Bettis, PhD – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Co-author: Anastacia Y. Kudinova, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Katelyn Affleck, PhD – Bradley Hospital/Alpert Medical School
Co-author: Jeffrey Hunt, MD – Brown University
Co-author: Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D. – Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brown University
Presenter: Brooke A. Ammerman, Ph.D. – University of Notre Dame
Co-author: Taylor A. Burke, Ph.D. – Harvard Medical School
Co-author: Alexandra Bettis, PhD – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Co-author: Anastacia Y. Kudinova, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Sarah Thomas, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jacqueline Nesi, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Leyla Ergudar, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Heather MacPherson, Ph.D. – William James College
Co-author: Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D. – Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D. – Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brown University
Presenter: Sarah Thomas, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D. – Rhode Island Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Micaela M. Maron, B.S. – Bradley Hospital/Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Sarah K. Ryan, PhD – Bradley Hospital/Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Samuel Meisel, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jessica R. Peters, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D. – Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brown University
Presenter: Jennifer A. Poon, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Andrew Barnett, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jessica R. Peters, Ph.D. – Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Micaela M. Maron, B.S. – Bradley Hospital/Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Co-author: Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D. – Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Brown University