Temporal Patterns of Suicidal Behavior among Deaf or Hard of Hearing Youth and Homeless Youth

Suicide is a significant public health issue in the U.S., ranking as the second leading cause of death among teens. Research revealed monthly and day-of-the-week patterns in suicidal behavior among youth, peaking in spring, declining in summer, and rising at the start of the week (i.e., Monday). Scholars hypothesize that lower suicide rates in summer are due to reduced academic stress and increased family time, fostering a supportive environment and enabling families to detect and intervene in suicidal behavior. This claim is supported by a decrease in suicidal behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures in spring 2020. However, the effect of time away from school varies across youth subgroups. For example, youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) have demonstrated higher rates of suicidal behavior during summer and weekends, potentially due to the loss of school-based social connections and support. Similarly, youth who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) often have unique relationships with family, peers, and schools, as 90% are born to hearing parents who do not use sign language. We hypothesize that these two vulnerable subgroups exhibit distinct monthly and day-of-the-week patterns in suicidal behavior compared to the general youth population, with elevated rates during periods away from school, including the COVID-19-related school closures. We will use linked HMIS-death-hospitalization datasets to examine the patterns in suicidal behavior among vulnerable youth subgroups.