Article

Secondary School Counselors' Experiences with Suicide Screenings and Assessments

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Abstract

Suicide rates in adolescents are increasing, and school counselors have an ethical obligation to respond and are often required to use suicide risk assessment (SRA) tools. Although tasked with gathering information on the suicide risk of a student, no research exists on the experience of school counselors when performing SRAs. This qualitative study examined the experiences of school counselors conducting suicide screeners and assessments on students (N=8). This study reveals that school counselors experience several critical challenges related to suicide risk assessment, including role conflict, intense emotional responses, the gravity of focusing on the student's immediate needs, a strong desire for collaborative support, and a perceived lack of adequate preparation in their prior training and education. These findings offer implications for practicing school counselors, counselor educators, schools, and future research.

Keywords: suicide risk assessments, suicide risk intervention, school counseling

How to Cite:

Correa, N. C., Rubel, D. & Purgason, L., (2025) “Secondary School Counselors' Experiences with Suicide Screenings and Assessments”, Counseling Scholarship & Practice in Educational Communities 1(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/cspec.3000