October 17, 2011

In the tradition of innovation, Drexel faculty initiated a mentorship program that supports novice writers in scholarly publication and dissemination. Greg Cooper BSN, RN, a student currently enrolled in Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Program, had a manuscript accepted for publication by Issues in Mental Health Nursing, a prestigious journal.

Encouraged by faculty to expand upon one of his assignments, in collaboration with nursing faculty Paul T. Clements, PhD, APRN-BC, DF-IAFN and Karyn Holt, CNM, PhD, Cooper prepared and submitted the manuscript for peer review. This manuscript was rigorously reviewed by the journal and accepted without revision after initial review—a rare occurrence. The topic of the paper has contemporary relevance and the information within will provide insight and guidance for nurses working in school settings as well as those in psychiatric and mental health care settings. 

Teen suicide is a terrible tragedy and is the third leading cause of death among high school children aged 14 to 19. School based intervention programs have been regarded as an effective and essential means of addressing this problem. A comprehensive review of the extant literature provides examination of the risk and protective factors of suicide in this age group, the development of these programs, the current state of the science and recommendations for enhanced assessment and intervention.

Suicide Prevention in High School Settings
Cooper, G. D, Clements, P. T. and Holt, K. (2011) A review and application of suicide prevention programs in High School settings. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 32:696–702 DOI: 10.3109/01612840.2011.597911