From Plans to Attempts: Understanding Adolescent Suicide Risks in Adolescents

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I speak with Dr. Michelle Cherro, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at Mass General in Boston and lead author of the 2025 PLOS One study, “Predictors of suicide attempts among adolescents with suicidal ideations and a plan.” Dr. Cherro discusses the motivations behind her team’s work with co-authors Dr. Hala Itani, Dr. Elie Ghossoub, and Dr. Fadi Maalouf at the American University of Beirut, exploring what drives some adolescents from suicidal thoughts and planning to an actual suicide attempt.   We unpack the study’s key findings, that female adolescents, antisocial behaviors, and substance use strongly predict attempts, and discuss how these insights can inform prevention efforts in Lebanon where the rates are not higher than elsewhere despite the unstable economic and political situation.   Tune in for a compelling conversation bridging U.S.-based data with Lebanese mental-health realities, and for practical reflections on what clinicians, schools, and families can do to protect at-risk youth.   📖 Reference: Cherro M, Itani H, Ghossoub E, Maalouf F. Predictors of suicide attempts among adolescents with suicidal ideations and a plan: Results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). PLOS One. 2025 Aug 28; 20(8):e0331261. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0331261. #AdolescentMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #Lebanon #GlobalHealth #Psychiatry #BehavioralHealth #PublicHealth #YouthWellbeing #mentalhealthawareness