Short Definition: % of students who seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months, out of depressed students

Long Definition:

The percent of students within a given school who said they seriously considered killing themselves in the past 12 months out of those who said they were depressed.

This question was answered as part of the SurveyWorks questionnaire and was included in the surveys for middle and high school students. SurveyWorks is the Rhode Island Department of Education's new opinions-and-perceptions survey and is administered annually to all students in grades 4-12. SurveyWorks is age appropriate for each level elementary, middle and high school but it covers roughly the same areas of questioning for all three levels.

Agency Source: RIDE

Time Period(s):

School Year

2009-10,  2010-11,  2011-12,  2012-13,  2013-14

Geographies: School

Data Type: Numeric

Purpose:

This indicator allows for comparison of safety, mental health, and learning environment between schools, and also allows for comparison with other education indicators.

Limitations:

This question was only asked of middle and high school students who reported feeling sad or depressed within the past year. (See '% Felt Depressed, Sad, or Hopeless (MH)' indicator.) The phrasing that question varies between years and grade levels.

In 2012-13 and 2013-14, middle students were only asked this question if they answered 'yes' to feeling 'so sad or hopeless ever day for two weeks or more that [they] did not feel like doing anything.' In those years, high school students were only asked this question if they answered 'yes' to feeling 'so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more that [they] stopped doing some usual activities.'

In 2009-10 through 2011-12, middle school students were only asked this question if they answered 'yes' to feeling 'so sad or hopeless that [they] did not feel like doing anything.' In those years, high school students were only asked this question if they answered 'yes' to feeling 'so depressed that it affect [their] daily life or friendships.'

This information is self-reported.

Universe: Students enrolled in grades 6-12 in a RI public school who participated in the SurveyWorks survey and reported feeling depressed in the past year.

Tags: Violence, Suicide, Attempted Suicide, SurveyWorks!, Mental Health, Well-being

Related Reports:

• High School Student Substance Use
• Middle School Student Substance Use
• Middle School Student Perceptions of School Violence

Related Datastories: No related datastories.