Emotion regulation and adolescent suicide: a proposal for physician education

Abstract

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 14-19 years. Pediatricians report strong interest in receiving additional training to reduce suicide mortality, and physician education is one of the most robust means of suicide prevention. However, many studies suggest that existing educational methods and means leave much room for improvement. In light of the emerging evidence that emotion regulation (ER) deficits are significantly associated with adolescent suicide, this paper proposes the untested hypothesis that a module on the brain-based ER system may strengthen existing methods of provider education. The ER system and the evidence supporting its association with adolescent suicide are reviewed. The ability to ground an approach to suicide prevention within this brain-based medical model may be appealing to pediatricians; its transdiagnostic breadth and dimensional makeup may also be appealing to pediatricians. Most importantly, its emphasis on the negative effects of impoverished self-regulation broaden non-specialist concern from a restriction upon withdrawn, depressed adolescents to those with a wide range of psychopathology. Implications and further considerations are discussed.

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