College counseling clinicians are increasingly working with students who engage in self-injury and experience suicidal thoughts, making it essential to distinguish these related but distinct clinical presentations. This session will examine the latest research on self-injury and suicide risk in college populations, with a focus on factors that can inform accurate risk formulation and intervention. Through case examples and practical guidance, attendees will explore strategies for assessment, safety planning, and treatment that are responsive to the unique developmental and contextual needs of college students. Participants will leave with clinically applicable approaches to support evidence-informed decision-making when working with students at risk for suicide.
Learning Objectives:
Explain the overlap and distinctions between suicidal ideation, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal behavior in college students.
Identify current evidence on psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors associated with elevated suicide risk among students who engage in self-injury.
Conduct assessments for self-injury and suicide risk through multiple modalities.
Integrate evidence-based recommendations into case conceptualization, safety planning, and treatment decision-making for college students at risk for suicide.
Presenter:
Dr. Amy Brausch is a Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Western Kentucky University and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She works with issues of suicide and self-injury in adolescents and young adults in both her clinical work and research.