In the face of apparent contagion, it is important for schools to utilize counselors and others who have been trained to identify students who may be at heightened risk for suicide due to underlying mental disorders or behavioral problems (such as depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, and/or substance abuse) and who have been exposed to the prior suicide either directly (by virtue of close identification or relationship with the deceased) or indirectly (by virtue of extensive media coverage).

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Of special concern are those students who:

• have a history of suicide attempts

• are dealing with stressful life events such as a death or divorce in the family

• were eyewitnesses to the death

• are family members or close friends of the deceased (including siblings at other schools as well as teammates, classmates, and acquaintances of the deceased)

• received a phone call, text, or other communication from the deceased foretelling the suicide

• may have fought with or bullied the deceased

 

In the future, schools can also seek to identify those in the general student body who may be at heightened risk by using a mental health screening tool (a process sometimes called case finding) such as Signs of Suicide (http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org) or others listed in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Best Practices Registry (http://www.sprc.org).