Frameworks - Community Protective Factors for Suicide
See also: Individual Risk Factors, Community Risk Factors, and Individual Protective Factors.
What is a community protective factor for suicide?
Protective Factors are characteristics associated with a decrease in the vulnerability of a health risk (suicide). Just as each individual or family have their own unique protective factors, each community also has its own unique protective factors that help support youth. This is by no means a comprehensive list; rather it is an attempt to have you begin thinking about what resources are in your community that help/ reduce suicide risk for youth. As a parent, you might look to participate in (PTA) or connect your son or daughter with a community resource. Check with your librarian or your child’s guidance counselor about who to contact for more information or to get involved. Individuals may wish to get involved in projects that help strengthen the community. Whether through a church, civic organization, ball team or some other organization that directly or indirectly impact on youth, your involvement can help strengthen your community. Some of the protective factors listed are systemic and would require a whole community/county or region to address. There may already be existing groups or coalitions working to address these issues. Get involved! We all have a responsibility to make the communities we live and work in a better place.
*Although these community protective factors are primarily youth-specific, positively changing the culture of a community benefits all community members, and can therefore be beneficial for adults who may be at risk, too.
**Please note that (unlike the individual protective factors) these protective factors do not necessarily statistically reduce the risk of suicide, rather they are gathered from more anecdotal beliefs of how positive factors in a community can help reduce risk.
Community Protective Factors
• No history of youth suicide
• No history of other high profile traumatic incidents/events
• Low levels of unemployment
• Low number of youth/families below the poverty level
• Low level of uninsured families/youth
• Low level of single parent homes
• Sustainable property tax base
• Diversified job force
• Healthy local economy
• Availability of outreach services to youth
• Existence of established community coalitions
• Readily accessible health care professionals/pediatricians
• Low access to illicit drugs
• High rate of compliance preventing alcohol sales for minors
• Existence of substance abuse prevention programs
• Readily accessible substance abuse treatment services
• Consistently low level of high school drop out rates
• Existence of court diversion programs for juvenile delinquency
• Existence of youth mentoring programs
• Low rate of domestic violence
• Low level of violent crime
• Low level of teen pregnancy
• Existence of prevention/education programs
• Readily accessible mental health services
• Primary care providers who conduct routine mental health/substance abuse screening
• Schools with a comprehensive health education curriculum
• Active church groups and faith based communities
• Active civic groups
• Media focused on positive community development
• Low access to lethal weapons
• Culturally and linguistically appropriate services available to minorities
• Existence of afternoon/weekend youth recreation programs
• Girl Scouts
• Boy Scouts
• 4H
• Teen drop in centers
• Community athletic leagues
• Recreation center
• Outdoor recreation facilities/parks
• Faith based youth programs
• Theater/art/music groups/activities
• Public transportation
• High level of involvement of youth in after school activities
• High rate of parent involvement at school
• PTA or other parent group
• School Resource Officer
• School based Guidance Counselor/Mental Health Counselor/Substance Abuse counselor
• Anti bullying programs
• Gay/lesbian youth support group
• Community leaders who are accessible and active with youth
• Strong sense of community pride/identification
• Student involvement in community service projects
• Low incidence of child abuse and neglect
• Positive perception/trust of law enforcement agencies
• No active youth gangs
• Library w/ up to date info for teens on health issues, etc
• Low exposure to toxins
