Suicide is a leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States, and mental health needs are at an all-time high because of the COVID-19 pandemic. US hospitals and mental health facilities are overwhelmed with referrals. The mental health community needs to explore alternative treatments for adolescents with suicidal ideation (SI). Emerging crisis outpatient clinics have been developed to fit this need. The pandemic has also led to an unprecedented use of telehealth services for mental health. Research on these treatments is needed to compare their efficacy with that of the current inpatient treatment standard of care for adolescents experiencing SI.
