Upstate Medical University offers new hope for suicidal young people
A 2023 survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 16.6M American adults and adolescents reported having serious thoughts of suicide. In Onondaga County, the number of teens hospitalized for a suicide attempt is 75% above the state average (outside of New York City). Upstate Medical University’s Psychiatry High Risk Program aims to address this by providing recovery-based treatment for adolescents and young adults who struggle with thoughts of suicide.
Upstate’s High Risk Program specialized treatment model focuses on transformative healing rather than just crisis intervention. By addressing the underlying causes of suicide, such as impaired emotion processing, relationship issues and negative self-image, it attempts to break the cycle of chronic mental illness. Anyone between?the ages of 14 and 40 struggling with thoughts of suicide and willing and able to engage in one year of weekly psychotherapy is eligible to participate in the program.
The first four sessions consist of a comprehensive assessment that is used to tailor the treatment plan to individual needs. Patients attend weekly individual therapy with dynamic deconstructive psychotherapy — an evidence-based treatment that helps them to heal from a negative self-image and maladaptive processing of emotionally charged experiences while working toward self-acceptance and more fulfilling relationships.
Other treatments, including family therapy sessions, group psychotherapy and/or medication management, are used on a case-by-case basis. The program also emphasizes quality assurance by monitoring patients’ progress through quarterly outcome assessments and regular peer consultation.
According to program records, of the more than 1,100 patients served in the past decade, only one ended their life.
For more information, contact Rebecca Shields, DO, director, Psychiatry High Risk Program, at shieldsr@upstate.edu.
