1. Use of Data for Needs Assessment, Program Evaluation and Surveillance
DATA-DRIVEN PREVENTION PROGRAMMING IN DELAWARE: USE OF THE DELAWARE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY TO INFORM SUICIDE PREVENTION EFFORTS
Use of Data for Needs Assessment, Program Evaluation and Surveillance
For more information contact Steve Martin
Center for Drug and Health Studies
University of Delaware

2. Background on YRBSS
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors 6 types of health-risk behaviors :
Behaviors related to injuries and violence (including suicide)
Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and STDs
Alcohol and other drug use
Tobacco use
Unhealthy diet
Inadequate physical activity
Monitoring is done through surveys (the YRBS) conducted nationally and in each state in odd numbered years.

3. What’s Different about the Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Surveys?
Delaware asks a number of questions in addition to the national core study including: prescription drug abuse, abusive dating relationships, cutting, gambling, sleep, mental health attitudes and context (middle school survey), how students hear about suicides and what they think the reasons for youth suicide are (high school survey)
Delaware does both a High School and a Middle School YRBS. Almost all states conduct the High School YRBS, but only about one-third of states conduct the Middle School YRBS. Nemours Health and Prevention has been instrumental in funding the Middle School YRBS

4. Use of Delaware YRBS Data for Needs Assessment
In Spring 2011 Delaware applied for a second Garret Lee Smith Award (GLS) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, this time to address suicide prevention with a new focus based data-driven findings from Delaware YRBS data for middle school youth

5. Data –Driven Application
the 50% high rates of suicide ideation among middle school students than high school students -- 22% of middle school students considered suicide as compared to 14% of the high school students in the 2011 YRBS; and
The low rates of teacher professional development on suicide risk (9%) and the low rates of student education on suicide (48%) in Delaware Middle Schools as compared to High Schools (27% and 92% respectively), as seen in the 2010 CDC’s Delaware School Health Profiles
These data were cited in the grant review as persuasive arguments for the need for services for middle school students in Delaware

6. In Fall 2011, Delaware received the new GLS grant
Delaware’s Garret Lee Smith Award has focused on improving middle school teacher and student awareness through several initiatives including implementing the Lifelines Program in most Delaware Middle Schools in Spring and Fall 2012
This provided an opportunity to show program effect using results from the YRBS

7. New Castle
Kent
Sussex
Appoquinimink
Capital
Cape
Brandywine
Caesar Rodney
Delmar
Christina
Lake Forest
Indian River
Colonial
Polytech
Laurel
Red Clay
Milford
Seaford
NCC Votech
Smyrna
Sussex Tech
Woodbridge
Cohort 6 GLS Delaware Middle Schools Participating by County and School District
10 Middle Schools in Sussex
8 Middle Schools in Kent
25 Middle Schools in NCC
The preparation for the SPI Team had began in late 2011 and was launched prematurely following the cluster suicides we experienced in As you may be aware, Delaware reached a record high of youth suicides that included the death of 14 people under the age of 18 in 2012 and received national media attention. I worked as a crisis worker at the time and was awestruck by the collaborative partnerships that were formed through those tragedies and provided an opportunity to work with the SPI Team in the summer of 2012 after receiving my graduate degree. Since then, I am pleased to share with you that here in Sussex, after today, I will have worked with every school district in Sussex County. Nearly 1,000 adults have attended suicide prevention presentation in Sussex and this year ended with exactly 66% of our 8th grade graduating class of 2018 having been trained. Similarly, we’ve trained in some capacity in all 18 school districts across the state as well around 10 charter or alternative schools throughout Delaware.

8. Engaging School Communities
District Leadership
Superintendents
School Principals
School Personal Director
Department Chairpersons
Student Services
Curriculum Director
Student Assistance Team; Parent Center
Front Line Professionals
School Counselors
Teachers
Behavioral Health Consultants
The model

9. Engaging School Communities
District Leadership
Superintendents
School Principals
School Personal Director
Department Chairpersons
Student Services
Curriculum Director
Student Assistance Team; Parent Center
Front Line Professionals
School Counselors
Teachers
Behavioral Health Consultants
The model

10. The Role of School Leaders
To connect the school with suicide prevention resources in the larger community
To offer consistent support to all school staff in suicide prevention activities
To see how it worked go to our youtube video at:
Explore the schools relationship with treatment resources

11. Having the opportunity in 2012 to reach virtually all the Delaware public middle schools and having YRBS survey results from before (2009 and 2011) and after (2013) in both middle and high schools gave us the opportunity to do a natural experimental comparison using both before and after comparisons and middle school compared to high school

12. Delaware YRBS Samples 2011 Delaware YRBS 2013 Delaware YRBS
Middle School N=3,145
High School N=2,299
Middle School N=3,677
High School N=2,756

13. Changes in Delaware Middle School YRBS Responses
Related to Suicide Ideation
before (2011*) and after (2013*)
*That is before and after the Grant-funded training and Program implementation done by DPBHS Staff

14. Percentage of Middle School Delaware students who seriously thought about killing themselves, 2011 and 2013
The decline in seriously thinking about suicide is significant for Delaware middle school students, for both boys and girls. This is particularly noteworthy because the percentages for seriously thinking about suicide had been virtually identical in 2009 and The significant declines occurred AFTER the introduction of the programming
Source: Delaware Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

15. Percentage of Middle School Delaware students who tried to seriously hurt or kill themselves, 2011 and 2013
When the question becomes “tried to seriously hurt or kill,” the CDC’s “attempted” question, the percentages also decline significantly, and this is true for both boys and girls.
The declines are not only statistically significant but dramatic, about a 50% reduction in 2 years. Again this is noteworthy because there had not been any observed change in this question for middle school students between 2009 and 2011.
Source: Delaware Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

16. Why attribute the marked declines to the SAMHSA Sponsored Programming?
The percentages of middle school students thinking about and attempting suicide were about the same in 2009 and 2011 – the reductions were in 2013, after the new prevention programming; and
There were no significant changes in high school students reporting thinking about and attempting suicide in the same time period, as seen in these next two slides

17. Percentage of Delaware High School students who seriously thought about killing themselves, 2011 and 2013
Women are more likely to think about suicide than men in Delaware high schools. There is no difference between 2011 and 2013 in high school students who seriously thought about suicide. Delaware numbers are quite close to national numbers too.
Source: Delaware High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

18. Percentage of Delaware High School students who tried to seriously hurt or kill themselves, 2011 and 2013
No real differences between 2011 and 2013 for Delaware High School students. Note that the tendency for more high school women to think about suicide than men is much less prevalent when the question turns to actually attempted.
Source: Delaware High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

19. Next, we wanted to see if the effects were different for different subgroups of the middle school students
For “Seriously though about killing themself”
Looked at Age, then Age by Gender; then
Looked at Grade in School, then Race;
The patterns of reductions between 2011 and 2013 were remarkably consistent across these subgroups of the population

20. Percentage of Middle School Delaware students who seriously thought about killing themselves by Age, 2011 and 2013
Declines between 2011 and 2013 are consistent for each age group.
Source: Delaware Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

21. Percentage of Middle School Delaware students who seriously thought about killing themselves by Age and Gender, 2011 and 2013
And the declines by age are true for both boys and girls.
Source: Delaware Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

22. Percentage of Middle School Delaware students who seriously thought about killing themselves by Grade, 2011 and 2013
And by grade.
Source: Delaware Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

23. Percentage of Middle School Delaware students who seriously thought about killing themselves by Race, 2011 and 2013
Declines are consistent by race/ethnicity.
Source: Delaware Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2011 and 2013

24. We are repeating the analysis using the 2015 YRBS that is currently being collected to see if the effects are sustained:
Teacher refreshed training has been done in 2014 but not direct programming in the classrooms. We want to see:
If the reductions in middle school suicide ideation seen in 2013 are maintained in 2015?; and
Do the 2013 middle school students (now in high school) show less suicide ideation than earlier cohorts of high school students?

25. Finally, here is an example of how we used the YRBS to look ahead at other areas to address in prevention programming. Results were used in our successful Cohort 9 application:
We added questions to the 2013 High School YRBS about:
How kids heard about suicides in their county or community and about the perceived major reasons why kids would consider suicide; and
About their perceived reasons why kids would consider suicide.

26. How have you Heard about Teen Suicides, 2013
This is also a new question in Females are more likely to have heard about suicides than males. Both kids at school and social media seem the most common way they hear about suicides. It is noteworthy how few students hear about suicides from school sources themselves.
Source: Delaware High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2013

27. Perceived Reasons why some Teenagers Commit Suicide, 2013
This is a new question in Bullying is by far the most likely explanation for attempting suicide from the students’ perspective.
Source: Delaware High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2013

28. Other Behaviors Reported by 2013 Delaware High School Students Bullied in the Past Year
This slide looks at suicide and other risk factors among those who have been bullied.
Source: Delaware High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, 2013