Making Prevention Practical: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Suicide Prevention

Faculty Sponsor

Caroline Ban and Jennifer Prough

Streaming Media

College

Arts and Sciences

Discipline(s)

Psychology, Humanities, Education, Social Work

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-29-2021

Abstract

Using an interdisciplinary approach, this oral presentation will illuminate ways individuals can contribute toward suicide prevention practices on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. Currently, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth, with one out of every five Indiana teens seriously considering suicide in the last twelve months (Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide, n.d.; Indiana Youth Institute, 2018; CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2020). The speaker will highlight experiences and research from occupational and academic pursuits as inspiration for suicide prevention. First, the speaker will reflect on tenets of Kwame Anthony Appiah's philosophy, cosmopolitanism to argue why people should care about suicide beyond their own friends and family. Building on this philosophical foundation, the speaker will describe the procedure and effectiveness of suicide gatekeeper trainings. Next, the speaker will share how she applied classroom conversations about suicide to understand and offer resources and support to Illinois and Indiana schools regarding their suicide protocol. Finally, the speaker will briefly explain the legislative process to encourage citizens to advocate for bills that support suicide prevention strategies. In all, suicide is a public health crisis where its tragedy impacts humanity beyond those closest to the deceased. By inviting cosmopolitan beliefs, individuals will learn that suicide prevention is accessible and obligatory to valuing human life.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Emily Friedman is a Senior Psychology major with minors in Education, Humanities, and Social Work. She is also a member of Christ College. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Master's degree in Social Work at Dominican University.

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