Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Reducing Suicide Risk Among Adolescents: Strategies, Challenges, and Solutions

Youth suicide is a pressing crisis today. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 720,000 people die each year by suicide, and suicide is now the third leading cause of death among 15–29 year olds (WHO, 2025). Over the past decade, youth trends have shown a sharp increase. In the United States, the suicide rate for 10–14-year-olds tripled between 2007–2018 before plateauing; for 15–19-year-olds, the rate rose ~57% (2009–2017) and remained high through 2021. These figures underscore that risk is no longer sporadic, but rather a persistent pattern in the current generation of adolescents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024).

Current social and digital changes are shaping a risk ecology directly relevant to adolescent suicide. Near-constant internet exposure and increasingly widespread smartphone ownership are altering daily rhythms, reducing sleep quality and duration, and increasing exposure to harmful content, including cyberbullying, glorification of self-harm, and negative social comparison. Sleep disturbances, loneliness, and distorted self-esteem are strong predictors of suicidal ideation and self-harm behavior, so an intensification of these factors in adolescents should be considered a driver of increased risk. At the same time, reduced face-to-face interactions with peers and decreased community participation weaken traditionally protective support networks. The loss of meaningful connections diminishes adolescents’ sense of belonging and heightens perceived helplessness, two psychosocial mechanisms known to contribute to suicide ideation and attempts. The migration of interactions to digital spaces can also delay help-seeking and reduce opportunities for early detection by parents, teachers, and health professionals, while content distribution algorithms have the potential to amplify exposure to risky material among vulnerable groups.

Preventing suicide in adolescence is crucial because of its profound consequences for individuals, families, and society as a whole. Timely and evidence-based interventions can reduce risk factors, strengthen protective mechanisms, and ultimately save lives. In addition to alleviating psychological and social burdens, effective prevention strategies contribute to the development of healthier communities and reduce long-term strain on healthcare systems. Multidisciplinary collaboration that brings together psychiatry, psychology, education, social work, public health, and policy studies offers the most comprehensive path toward sustainable solutions.

This Article Collection welcomes contributions that present innovative strategies, address current challenges, and propose solutions to reduce suicide risk among adolescents from a multidisciplinary perspective. Submissions may include empirical studies, systematic reviews, policy analyses, and practice-based insights.

Relevant subtopics include, but are not limited to:

• Early detection and screening
• School- and community-based interventions
• The role of digital technologies
• Cultural and socioeconomic dimensions
• Ethical considerations in prevention programs

By integrating diverse approaches, this Collection aims to advance scholarly knowledge, foster collaboration, and support the development of effective strategies for safeguarding adolescent mental health.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data summary & trends report: 2013–2023. https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/YRBS-2023-Data-Summary-Trend-Report.pdf
2. WHO. (2025). Suicide. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide/

Submission Instructions:

Please submit your manuscript through the Dovepress website. During submission, enter the promo code 6C009 for a 10% discount off the Article Processing Charge and to indicate that your submission should be included in this Article Collection.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo full peer-review; Guest Advisors will not be handling submitted articles. Please review the journal’s aims and scope and author submission instructions prior to submission. Standard Article Publishing Charges apply.

The manuscript submission deadline is 1 November 2026.

If you have any questions about this Article Collection, please contact Krista Thom at [email protected].

Guest Advisors:

Rohman Hikmat is a doctoral student at Prince of Songkla University and has experience as a lecturer in Psychiatric Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas ’Aisyiyah Bandung. He earned a master’s degree in Mental Health Nursing from Universitas Padjadjaran (2023–2024) with distinction as the best graduate, following the completion of his Nurse Profession program (2022–2023) with a perfect GPA. His academic and research interests center on adolescent mental health, particularly bullying, cyberbullying, and therapeutic interventions.

He has managed community-based mental health and school health programs across Indonesia, collaborating with health offices, NGOs, and educational institutions. His professional experience includes facilitating capacity-building programs using design thinking and delivering seminars on mental health literacy. Rohman has published extensively in national and international peer-reviewed journals indexed by Scopus (Q1–Q4), focusing on bullying prevention, digital-based interventions, and psychiatric nursing care.

Dr. Iyus Yosep is a distinguished academic in Mental Health Nursing. He has served as a lecturer in the Department of Mental Health Nursing and Nursing Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran since 2000. He earned his Ph.D. from the University Malaysia Sarawak (2016-2020) and holds master's degrees in Public Health Nursing from the University of Sunderland, UK, and Developmental Psychology from Universitas Padjadjaran. Dr. Iyus has presented his research on self-efficacy, resilience, and trauma at numerous international conferences, including the International Nursing Conference (INC) in Thailand, Malaysia, and Dubai. He has authored books and research publications, contributing significantly to the field of mental health nursing.

Disclosure Statement: Neither Mr. Hikmat nor Prof. Yosep declares any conflict of interest.