Development of State Postsecondary Suicide Prevention Policies and Implications for Equity

• In Event: Changing Landscapes Within Higher Education Policy

Abstract

Suicide prevention is a key issue on many campuses, yet there is a paucity of research examining the development of policies regulating suicide prevention and the assumptions underlying these practices. This paper uses critical policy analysis to compare suicide prevention policy development regarding postsecondary institutions in Virginia and Ohio through examining differences in legislative content and media coverage of policy formation. Mandated practices are also mapped onto the peer-reviewed literature and to federal guidance. While Ohio and Virginia suicide prevention policies require different practices and arose in unique contexts, they share an emphasis on institutional responsibility and prioritizing the identification of treatment and suicidal individuals. Implications for postsecondary and equity institutions are discussed.

Author

• Tori I. Rehr, The Ohio State University